Westerkerk

The Westerkerk was built between 1620 and 1631 by Hendrick de Keyser and finished after his death, and it is still the largest church in the Netherlands built for Protestant worship - a Dutch Renaissance building designed for preaching, with a broad interior, plain walls and clear glass, no images and the pulpit at the centre of the arrangement rather than an altar. Its tower, the Westertoren, is eighty-seven metres, the tallest in the city, topped with a copy of the imperial crown of Maximilian I, which Amsterdam was granted the right to use in 1489 and put on everything. Rembrandt was buried here in 1669 in a rented grave, the location of which is not known - a wall marker records him without claiming a spot. The Anne Frank House is a few doors along Prinsengracht, and the diary mentions the Westertoren bells repeatedly.

History

The church was built between 1620 and 1631 to designs by Hendrick de Keyser, finished by his son Pieter de Keyser and inaugurated on 8 June 1631. It was one of the first purpose-built Protestant churches, and Rembrandt was buried here on 8 October 1669 in a grave whose exact place is no longer known (Wikipedia, Westerkerk).

What you'll find

• An eighty-seven-metre tower - the tallest in Amsterdam, with the imperial crown on top.
• A preaching interior - broad, plain and clear-glazed, built for Protestant worship.
• Rembrandt's burial - in an unmarked rented grave, recorded on a wall.
• The bells of the diary - heard from the annexe a few doors along the canal.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Practical notes

The tower is climbed only on a guided tour with limited numbers and a steep narrow stair - book ahead. The church closes for services and concerts. Rembrandt's actual grave location is unknown.

Nearby

The Anne Frank House is a few doors along; the Jordaan is behind.

Key facts