Apr 09 2025 23 mins 2
The churches of Amsterdam are not always what they seem. One is more of a national memorial, another is an art gallery and concert venue. A third is a museum where you can learn the story of the hidden churches which opened in the 17th century and where worshippers gathered for over 200 years. They key factor is a date – 1578 – when an event occurred which changed everything: the Alteration. This episode explains what happened and then tours half a dozen of the city’s churches and explains what you can expect to find if you visit them today.
Reading Suggestions
Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak
Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates
Links for this post
The Begijnhof
The Oude Kerk
The Nieuwe Kerk
The Westerkerk
The Noorderkerk
St Nicholas
Our Lord in the Attic
