Oude Kerk Amsterdam

It’s a beautiful and historic church that is the oldest in Amsterdam. There was no line to enter and I only saw a few other people while I was there. I was most impressed by the organ and ceiling decoration. There is also some nice artwork on the walls. You really get a sense of the history of the place by noticing all the important people buried beneath the ground you walk on. I definitely recommend seeing this important place in the history of Amsterdam.

Very glad we went! Big, old, beautiful structure that has had a tumultuous religious history and which is now used for concerts due to its voluminous acoustics. You can see where some defaced catholic paintings have been reaurfaced and restored. And, most of the floor tiles are grave markers for those buried inside the church! What a fascinating place right in the heart of the Red Light District!

A nice exposition in "De Oude Kerk". The main reason of my visit was that it is the 5th Chakra on a landscape temple in the Netherlands, starting in Nieuwerkerk aan de Ijssel and ending in Purmerend. Goal was an attempt to determine exactly where the high vibrations are located. Wow, It is there, but I have to come back on a slightly quiter day. Although that would be challenging due to the location in the hart of the Red Light District😂 Part of the church resident you'll find a café and a candy shop with lots of delicious chocolate. I can't remember it was Belgium chocolate other than it was a delicious treat.

Such a special, one-of-a-kind experience. The city’s oldest surviving building (13th century) with a great self-guided audio tour and rotating art installations that keep it fresh and inspiring. My sister and I were spooked when we realized we were walking on gravestones, so we tried to hop around to not do so… and then realized the entire floor is gravestones. 😅 The space is stunning — breathing in there feels sacred and otherworldy. I didn’t get to do the tower tour which was a bummer, so check the dates available, but I’ll definitely be back. *Visited in July on Monday, no wait times — and don’t miss the cozy café right next door!

This is the most rip off church I’ve ever visited. The church charged €13.5/pp entrance fee but it’s really disappointing what you see inside which is nothing but a bare shell, it’s just not worth it. You’ll get to see other more beautiful and spectacular churches nearby regions (Antwerp, Ghent etc) at a much cheaper fee or even free entrance and with tonnes of artwork, for instance : 1. Sint-Lauren’s Church in Rotterdam:€4 2. Delft- Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk:€9.5 for both churches, 3. Sint-Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent : € free 4. Saint-Nicholas in Ghent: €free 5. Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp: €12 , this is probably one of the most beautiful church I ever visited. 6. And lots of other cathedrals in Antwerp and Brussels.

Consecrated in 1306, the church is the oldest building in Amsterdam. Originally a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, it transitioned to Protestant worship in 1578 during the Iconoclasm. Built in Gothic style, it was a focal point during Amsterdam’s 17th-century Golden Age. Today, it functions both as a historic Protestant church and a venue for contemporary art exhibitions.

An old church where many were buried. You can see from the engraving on the tile floor. It is also renowned for the organ in the church. Several paintings on the ceiling can be seen as they are the testimony of itself was once a catholic church.

The most ancient building in this incredible city. A severe, exquisite Protestant Church. Here lies beautiful Saskia, Rembrandt’s wife, model & Muse.

Yelp Review 2023 #94: Located in the Red Light District is Amsterdam's oldest building with a long history that has nothing to do with prostitution whatsoever. Starting in the 1200's when this church was built for Catholics. It became a Protestant church in the 1500's when the Dutch were no longer fans of the Catholic Church and switched teams. It became as an archive center. Under the floors of this building is a graveyard. And now, it's an art center. The tickets are about €14 for adults and cheaper for children depending on their age, and students. It's open from 10am-6pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. Check their website for most current information. Outside the building you'll see bronze sculptures: a breastplate sculpture, and Belle the Sex Worker. Keep your eyes on the ground and around so you don't miss them.

Huge old cathedral in Amsterdam in the red light distract. It's mostly empty but a beautiful building and worth a quick look at for any visitors.

This Gothic church is located in the Red Light District and surrounded by brothels, but that's Amsterdam in a nutshell. Consecrated in 1306, Oude Kerk is the oldest surviving building in the city. The artist Rembrandt was a regular visitor & his children were christened here. There are many typical medieval church trappings; vaulted ceilings, centuries-old paintings, ancient gravestones embedded in the floor, the building officially was designated as a museum in 2016. It hosts two site-specific exhibitions annually, featuring top international contemporary artists. It's a great place for a moment of quiet reflection from the overwhelmingly seediness of the Red Light District.

This church is epic! Massive, gorgeous ceilings. So glad we popped in, though the map and audio guides weren't the best. It was still interesting to walk around one of the oldest structures in Amsterdam. I'd imagine it's a wonderful place to catch a concert but we were there on a weekday, midday, so just enjoyed the building itself.

Again, this is something you should make time for, particularly if you have the Museumkaart. With the card, admission is free. The church is, of course, beautiful. You'll be able to appreciate the masonry and grand organ as you walk around. And, make sure you head over to the far side of the church to pay your respects to Saskia, Rembrandt's wife. Her stone is well marked and easy to find. When I visited they had an interesting exhibit about the end of relationships. People had submitted letters, items, photos and a letter describing their love affair, and how it ended. It was surprisingly interesting, and sometimes moving. I've read through the other reviews here, and they mention fashion exhibits, etc. So, it seems no matter when you go, you'll have something to look at in addition to another grand organ.

One of my favorite stops in Amsterdam! De Oude Kerk ("the old church") is the oldest building and church in Amsterdam. And it's stunning. And very worth the entrance fee to explore the gorgeous interior of the church.

This was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Amsterdam. I love how simple and modest it is compared to many of the churches I have been to from the same time period. It is almost as if the reported Dutch modesty and lack of showiness has manifested itself in this quietly decorated place of worship. Besides for being able to have a nice visit with Rembrandt's Saskia, the highlight of my visit was the getting a private little tour of the prayer booths from the man who treats them with bees wax. He took time to show my friend and me around, pointing out all of the proverbs depicted on the seats, and how they related to Dutch life in the 15-17th centuries. Totally awesome!

For the first church started in Amsterdam it's in great condition inside and out. Like many churches in Amsterdam it's no longer used for religious services but mainly for exhibitions or special events. Regardless, it's architecture is notable and inner features are quite beautiful. It's interior and exterior are massive. Owing to Dutch attitudes towards tolerance it sits inside the Red Light District with more than a few windows of the Red Light District facing the back wall of the church. In addition there is now a small courtyard on the outside of the church where you can lounge and get coffee, tea and desserts.

Yeah for old building and fabulously interesting architect! It is at the edge of the red light district, near a canal, and nearly centrally located. The internal of the church has huge ceilings, an amazing organ, it's nice to just be able to walk around and enjoy it! Note: there is a fee to enter the church. But the museum card does get you in Note2: they do have many random art exhibits. During our visit it was a "Museum of Broken relationship" pretty creepy and weirdly voyeuristic view into people's personal lives and failed relationships!

Not quite sure what to make of this place. Several friends of ours said we should stop by while walking around the Red Light District. We were underwhelmed compared with other European churches we have visited, and found it to be a very strange place. For some reason, the church was having an unexplained fashion/art exhibit. It was strange to say the least, it included what we think was a snake skin dress in a glass case, among other things. There is some beautiful stained glass and a very intricate organ, but not really worth the 5 Euro admission fee.

Pretty church that is used a bit today. Some interesting things like stairway to heaven and wooden clad ceilings.

This building is Amsterdam's oldest and it is the oldest parish church, consecrated in 1306. If you are a history nut, a visit to Amsterdam is not complete without seeing this building. Rembrandt's family used to visit here, and would be the only original building remaining from his time in Amsterdam. The church on the inside feels like a hallowed out shell. The roof, floor, and stained glass windows are original and breath taking. The floor is is made up of 10,000+ graves. So it feels a bit weird as you are walking through and around. When we were there we had to pay an entrance fee because there was some exhibit going on. The exhibit I found was distracting and I think I would have enjoyed the church much more if it wasn't for the presence of the exhibit. The exhibit was highlighting great works of photo journalism from this past year. The photos were quite graphic in nature in showing photos from world catastrophes and wars. Definitely worth a quick visit to see a piece of history left standing.

Do the tower. (Entrance is in a different place vs. the church entrance). The church is part of history and should visited, but the tower the "must see." It's a serious climb. The stairs are sometimes more like ladders. You even need to "back down" on certain of them. You pass by a carillon and bell system. But, at the top you look out over all of old Amsterdam from the highest point in the city.

A total waste of money. The windows had been covered in red plastic as a part of an "art" project which made it very difficult to see anything inside. You couldn't see any of the stain glass windows or the interior artwork. Check if this so called art project is on before you pay anything to go inside.

The entrance fee is too high. You wont see so many figures and the chapels are almost empty - no figures or paintings...

Under construction and had a weird AV art exhibit in it. Just ok. Not really worth 10e unless you have a museum pass and it includes this.

As an atheist, you wouldn't think churches would be at the top of my list when visiting Europe, but they almost always are no matter where I go. The architecture and history and feel inside old churches... I can't quite describe it. In Amsterdam, we visited the Nieuwe Kerk first, and it's hard to really capture the feeling there since it's been converted into a museum - there's not really a great vantage point where you can stand back and take it all in. I was so glad I got that opportunity in the Oude Kerk. Despite being in the middle of some excavation/renovations, it is beautiful inside and with plenty of room to stand back and drink all of it in. It's hard not to imagine how people back in the 14th century must have felt when it's still so breathtaking today. I especially loved the carved floors (although watch out when you're walking - I almost twisted an ankle accidentally stepping on an uneven carving) and exploring what the earliest date was I could find. It seemed a bit incongruous in the middle of the red light district, but hey - there was a guy in there drawing pictures of prostitutes, so at least they've embraced where the church is today!