Posted on: January 28, 2024
What looks like an ordinary canal house in Amsterdam Red Light District turns out to be an entire hidden Catholic church. Our Lord in the Attic was built in the mid-1600s in defiance of the Calvinists, but tolerated. Inside you’ll see labyrinthine staircases, rich artwork, period decor and the soaring two-story church itself.
Our Lord in the Attic, A 17th-century residential museum home with a hidden church in the loft. Most people will just pass by this building, as it doesn’t look like a church at all. In this monument the Dutch Golden Ages comes to life.
Visitors step back 350 years in time and wander through the corridors, rooms, kitchens and the stairs towards the jewel at the heart of the museum: the magnificent church in the attic.
The house was built by Jan Hartman in 1663, which makes the house 352 years old. Hartman was a German merchant who was a Catholic. Since 1578 when the so-called Alteration occurred and the Catholic city authority was dismissed with a Reformed authority, non-Reformed individuals were not permitted to hold public religious services.
Therefor, Hartman built a church upstairs, because holding services within premises that were not recognisable as churches was allowed. Since 1888, the house and church have provided one of the most remarkable museum experiences.
This hidden church has a brand new part which was opened in September 2015 by the queen of the Netherlands: Maxima. It’s located next to the original part of the church and it took around six years to complete the expansion and renovation. The new building of Our Lord in the Attic is part of the so called Amsterdam’s Project 1012.
One of the goals of this project is to have more variety in the Red Light District. Just a couple decades ago, the area used to be all about sex & drugs. Nowadays, it offers much more than that, like the brand new part of this museum, which includes a coffee bar and a stunning view!
Monday to Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Sundays : 1 pm – 5 pm
Adults: 10,- Euro
Kids (5 – 18 years): 5,- Euro
Kids (<5 years): Free
Entrance tickets can be bought online as part of the iAmsterdam City Card.
This little church is truly one of the best hidden gem’s in Amsterdam! You’ll love it!
ALSO DISCOVER:
Where is this church in relation to the Anne Frank house?
Thank you,
Michael Tomlinson
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