Oude Kerk (Old Church), Amsterdam 
Exterior of the Oude Kerk. See our Oude Kerk Photo Gallery for more.
Interior of the Oude Kerk.
Painted wooden ceiling (15th-16th cent).
The Oude Kerk's grand organ (1728).
Detail of misericord: "Sail When the Wind Allows." Photo: Jenny Levine.
Interactive satellite view of the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. For a
larger view, see our Amsterdam Map or Google Earth download.
Located alongside a canal in the Red Light District, the Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the oldest monument in Amsterdam. Its official name is Sint-Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas's Church), but nobody ever calls it that.
Construction on the Oude Kerk began in 1250 and was finally completed with the extension of the bell tower in 1566. During the Alteration of 1578, Protestant reformers confiscated the church and destroyed much of its Catholic ornamentation.
On the church's southern porch, to the right of the sexton's house, there is a coat of arms belonging to Maximilian of Austria, who, with his son Philip, contributed to the porch's construction.
Inside, the Oude Kerk has three naves and a very spacious feel, the latter thanks to the Calvinist simplification.
The vaulted wooden ceiling bears faded paintings dating from throughout the 1400s and 1500s, depicting various saints, ships, biblical scenes and coats of arms.
The floor is paved with rectangular slabs for memorials, each with its own number to keep it all organized. Rembrandt's wife is memorialized on vault 28K, which bears the simple inscription "Saskia Juni 1642."
One remnant of the Catholic Oude Kerk that escaped Calvinist destruction is the choir with its misericords - "mercy seats" to assist singers as they stand for long periods - that date from about 1480. As in many medieval churches, these seats are decorated with wooden carvings depicting everyday life and humorous scenes.
Several of the misericords in the Oude Kerk depict proverbs, the most colorful of which is "Money doesn't fall out of my arse" - which we know in the more polite version of "Money doesn't grow on trees." Another advises to "Sail when the wind allows" (right).
The Old Church contains a magnificent organ from 1728 by Christian Müller that is regularly used for recitals. An inscription over the entrance to the marriage chapel warns: 't is haest getrout dat lange rout ("marry in haste, repent at leisure").
You can climb the church tower on an hourly guided tour for a great view of Old Amsterdam. Outside, the pretty little gabled almshouses around the Oude Kerk now feature red-fringed windows through which can be seen the scantily clad ladies of the Red Light District.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Oude Kerk; Old Church; Church of St. Nicholas; Nicolaaskerk |
| Address: | Oudekerksplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Location: | Oudezijds Voorburgwal |
| Phone: | 020/625-8284 |
| URL: | www.oudekerk.nl |
| Tram: | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, or 25 to the Dam |
| Hours: | Church: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm; Tower: June-Sept Wed-Sun 2-4pm; Sept-Apr Sun-Fri 1-5pm, Sat 11-5pm. Closed Jan 1, Apr 30. |
| Cost: | 4€ adults, 3.20€ seniors/students, children under 12 free; rates may vary for special exhibits. |
Sources
- Personal visit (November 2006).
- Oudekerk Official Website
- Frommer's Amsterdam
- Fodor's Amsterdam
