Best for
History and architecture fans, anyone interested in Amsterdam's medieval origins
Time needed
45 minutes–1.5 hours
Worth it?
Yes — the oldest building in the city, with genuine art-historical significance
Skip if
You've already covered church interiors elsewhere and want to move on
About Oude Kerk
The Oude Kerk (Old Church) traces its origins to a wooden chapel built around 1213, rebuilt in stone and consecrated to St. Nicholas — patron saint of sailors, fittingly for a young trading port — around 1306, making it the oldest surviving building in Amsterdam by a wide margin. What stands today grew over centuries into a large Gothic hall church, expanded repeatedly as the surrounding city and its wealth grew around it.
Like most Dutch churches, its interior was stripped of Catholic imagery during the 1566 Reformation-era iconoclasm, leaving the plain whitewashed walls typical of Dutch Reformed worship spaces — though the church retains a remarkable set of surviving medieval wooden ceiling paintings, among the largest and best-preserved of their kind in Europe, having survived the iconoclasm because ceilings were harder to deface than statues and altarpieces at eye level.
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The floor is paved almost entirely with gravestones — roughly 2,500 of them — since burial inside the church was standard practice for wealthy Amsterdammers for centuries; composer and organist Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Rembrandt's wife Saskia van Uylenburgh are both buried here. Since 2012 the church has also operated as a contemporary art and photography exhibition space, running major shows including the World Press Photo exhibition in some years, alongside its function as an active church.
Its location, in the heart of De Wallen, means the Oude Kerk sits surrounded by the neighbourhood's modern reputation — a genuinely striking contrast that's part of the area's long, layered history of trade, tolerance and change rather than something to avoid.
What to See: Highlights
- 1Amsterdam's oldest surviving building, consecrated around 1306
- 2Rare surviving medieval wooden ceiling paintings
- 3Roughly 2,500 gravestones paving the church floor
- 4Saskia van Uylenburgh (Rembrandt's wife) buried here
- 5Contemporary art and photography exhibitions since 2012, alongside active church use
- 6Seasonal tower tours (April–October)
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Insider Tips
Look up — the medieval ceiling paintings are the standout survival here
Combine with Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, a short walk away
Tower tours run seasonally (roughly late April–October) — check the schedule
The De Wallen surroundings can feel touristy at night — daytime visits are quieter and more contemplative
Included in the Museumkaart and I amsterdam City Card
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Getting There
Oudekerksplein 23, 1012 GX Amsterdam
Open in Google Maps →- 110-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal, in the heart of the De Wallen district.
Where to stay
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
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Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You want to see the oldest building in Amsterdam
- You're interested in rare surviving medieval ceiling paintings
- You're already exploring De Wallen or Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder
- You appreciate a church that layers medieval history with contemporary art
Skip if...
- You're short on time and have already visited Westerkerk or the Nieuwe Kerk
- You'd rather avoid the De Wallen area entirely
