Keep an eye out for the bronze relief of a hand cupping a breast among the cobblestones outside the church door.
Amsterdam’s Oude Kerk was consecrated over 700 years ago. Before the Reformation of 1578, it was a Roman Catholic church; afterwards, it became an important centre of Calvinism, and remains so today.
The church is set in a square called Oudekerksplein, situated at the edge of the city’s red light district. The square is overlooked by prostitutes’ windows, and is adorned by a 2007 bronze statue named Belle, inscribed with the message ‘Respect sex workers all over the world:’ an arresting conjunction of the city’s oldest building and its oldest profession.
Oude Kerk’s sober Protestant interior makes for a contrast to the city’s Roman Catholic churches. It hosts a magnificent Baroque organ, and its medieval wooden vault ceiling is the largest in Europe, providing extremely good acoustics.
Owing to its previous use as a cemetery, the church floor remarkably consists entirely of gravestones: Johannes Vermeer, perhaps the foremost artist of the Golden Age, is buried here among many other Dutch notables. Rembrandt was a frequent visitor, and the church holds the tomb of his wife Saskia van Uylenburgh.
Explore the major sights and hidden gems of Amsterdam on this immersive full-day tour of the Dutch capital. With an expert guide, discover Amsterdam's vibrant culture, architectural beauty and eccentricity, intricate canal network, kilometres of cycle tracks, the city's top two museums, its major monuments and lively markets. End your day with a fabulous cruise along the canals.
On your private full-day tour, you will:
Spend the morning exploring Amsterdam's top two museums: the Van Gogh Museum dedicated to the life and works of Vincent, and the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, as impressive for its architecture as for its amazing collections of historic artefacts and paintings by the Masters of the Dutch Golden Age like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Dyck.
Hop on a tram to explore the beautiful, bohemian Jordaan District and stop for lunch in the area (price not included) which was once traditionally a rather poor neighbourhood, attracting amazing artists and poets, including Rembrandt and the famous 17th-century Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel.
After lunch, enjoy an in-depth orientation tour of the city centre. See the highlights of Amsterdam including the Torensluis Bridge, Westerker, and the Anne Frank House. Visit the world-famous floating Flower Market, which has floated on Amsterdam’s innermost canal since 1862.
See Dam Square, which came by its name the same way Amsterdam did: it began life as a dam of the Amstel River nearly 750 years ago. As the city grew so did the dam, until it became large enough for a town square, and it has been at Amsterdam’s heart ever since! It is also home to a royal palace.
At the end of the tour your guide will walk you to the dock to join your Public Canal Cruise, to do one of the most iconic things in Amsterdam: see the city by water. Your cruise will take you through the warren of the city's canals, now listed as a World Heritage site. A perfect way to end the day!
Get a taste of Amsterdam's culture, beauty, and history by discovering its markets and masterpieces on this full-day walking tour including the world-famous Van Gogh Museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh, the impressive Rijksmuseum, and the Flower Market, the only floating market in the world.
On this private tour, you will:
Begin your tour exploring the must-see Van Gogh Museum, with the most comprehensive collection of his works in the world, followed by a visit to the beautiful Rijksmuseum, which holds over one million objects chronicling Dutch history from 1200 to the present day.
Head to the nearby popular shopping district of Nieuw Spiegelstraat- a centre for beautiful Dutch antiques and pottery as well as for thoroughly modern design.
Making a short stop at the world-famous Flower Market is an absolute must, where you will grab a bite to eat at a local vendor and perhaps buy some colourful and fragrant tulips.
You will also get to discover some of the hidden gems of Amsterdam, including a visit to Spui Square where local booksellers and artists vie for your attention, as well as a visit to the enchanting courtyard of Begijnhof- a place of quiet sanctuary in the heart of Amsterdam.
Explore the picturesque Nine Streets with its myriad of independent boutiques and beautiful cafes. From here it is a short and utterly worthwhile journey to the 17th-century Westerkerk Church with its impressive 85m high tower.
From here you will pass the iconic Anne Frank’s House, where you will spend some time with your expert guide hearing about the tragic history of Amsterdam’s Jewish community during the Second World War.
You will end your tour with a stroll around the beautiful Jordaan District, traditionally a rather poor neighbourhood, attracting amazing artists and poets, including Rembrandt and the famous 17th-century Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel.
Step back in time as you walk around Amsterdam in the 17th century at the height of the Dutch Golden Age, marvelling at the art and architecture as you learn about the lives of Rembrandt and the Dutch Masters and the rise and fall of the Dutch East India Company.
On your private tour, you will:
Amsterdam was the capital of the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th Century a city where world trade, incredible wealth and famous art converged.
The Dutch East India Company (the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) or the VOC, founded in 1602 expanded Dutch trade all over the world and prospered for 200 years. At the same time, science and the arts flourished under the influence of the Dutch Masters: from Rembrandt to Vermeer.
On this relaxing and fascinating historic walking tour of Amsterdam, you will see Rembrandt’s masterpieces in the studio in which he lived and worked, with timed entrance tickets included. Called Rembrandt's House Museum, where he lived and worked from 1639 to 1656, you will learn all about his life and influences.
You will stroll along picturesque canals and admire the architecture of the royal palace, as your guide transports you back in time to the 17th Century.
See the harbour on which the warehouses from the 17th century still stand to this day, as well as the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, where you’ll learn about the darker side of the VOC – its colonization of land, trading of slaves and monopoly of the spice trade.
Your historic tour ends outside the famous Rijksmuseum where you can purchase tickets to see the finest and largest collection of Dutch masters in the world if you are interested in visiting
This tour is also a must-see tour for fans of books such as The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Miniaturist.
Explore the highlights of Amsterdam, the charming Dutch capital famous for its cobblestone streets, iconic canal network, hundreds of old stone bridges, kilometres of cycle paths, beautiful architecture, and vibrant culture on this half-day walking tour with an expert guide. Also included, are tickets for a scenic cruise along the city's famous canals to enjoy at your leisure after the tour.
On your private tour, you will:
Your tour begins in the beautiful Jordaan District, historically an impoverished neighbourhood, that later attracted artists and poets, including Rembrandt and the famous 17th-century Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel. Now, it is a bustling centre of creativity, full of young artists, entrepreneurs, and students taking their coffee in the myriad of artisanal cafes and restaurants.
As a centre of Calvinist religious reform, you will also see Amsterdam's Westerkerk, which at its completion in 1631, was one of the first-ever Protestant churches. Amsterdam’s Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk were originally built for Roman Catholic worship before the ‘Alteration,’ the bloodless Calvinist coup of 1578, that saw them converted.
See some of the city's hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths, admire the old stone bridges and especially the iconic Torensluis Bridge. Learn about the rise and fall of the Dutch East India Company and Amsterdam as the centre of the Dutch Golden Age.
From there, your guide will take you to Dam Square, which, along with the River Amstel lends its name to the city! It began life as a dam of the Amstel River nearly 750 years ago. As the city grew so did the dam, until it became large enough for a town square; the dam of Amstel became Amsterdam!
Paved with the Dutch capital’s distinctive cobblestones, the square today is a great place to browse and people-watch among some of the city’s most notable attractions: Madame Tussaud’s, the 15th century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk, the Royal Palace and the Swish department store De Bijenkorf are all here.
You’ll also have the chance to see the famous Bloemenmarkt, which has floated on Amsterdam’s innermost canal since 1862. Historically, barges used to sail up the Amstel from their smallholdings; today daily fresh flowers arrive by van, and fifteen florists and garden shops display their colourful wares in an array of covered stalls.
Your tour will finish with tickets to board a canal cruise, to see the city from the water, one of the most iconic things to do in Amsterdam!
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