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Number 13 of 20 in Amsterdam

Oude Kerk and De Wallen: the oldest quarter of Amsterdam

Amsterdam's oldest building and its most famous streets are the same few hundred metres. The Oude Kerk was standing on this spot before the city had its walls, and the red windows have been round it for centuries, because the harbour was here.

What it is
Church
Time to allow
1 to 2 hours
Cost
Free to walk, a ticket for the church
Best time
The church by day, the streets in the early evening

Amsterdam this week

    Why the Oude Kerk is worth it

    A wooden chapel stood here by about 1213. It was replaced by a stone church, consecrated in 1306 and dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron of sailors, and enlarged by generation after generation of citizens into the great church of today.

    In 1566 rioters smashed its altars and images, and in 1578 it became a Protestant church. Only the paintings on the vault, out of reach, survived. Rembrandt's wife Saskia was buried here in 1642. Since 2012 the church has also shown contemporary art.

    The streets around it, along the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, take their name, De Wallen, from the walls of the old canals. The port was close by, and so was the trade that goes with ports. It is still the city's largest red-light quarter, and a place where people live.

    What to see

    1. The wooden vault

      The long wooden roof over the nave, with the paintings the iconoclasts of 1566 could not reach.

    2. The floor of graves

      The church is paved with tombstones from wall to wall, and Saskia van Uylenburgh's grave is among them.

    3. The great organ

      The organ of the eighteenth century at the west end, with its carved and gilded case.

    4. The canals of De Wallen

      The Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, two of the oldest canals in the city, lined with gabled houses.

    5. Our Lord in the Attic

      The hidden church in a canal house on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, a few doors from the Oude Kerk.

    How to do it well

    • Do not photograph or film the women in the windows. It is forbidden and they will object.
    • Visit the church in daylight, and walk the quarter in the early evening, before the late-night crowds.
    • Drinking in the street and buying from street dealers are against the law here, and the police enforce it.
    • A tour with a guide explains the quarter's history and how the trade works today, and keeps you clear of the worst of the crowds.

    Where it is

    Address

    Oudekerksplein, between the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Warmoesstraat

    Nearest station

    Nieuwmarkt metro (lines 51, 53 and 54), five minutes on foot, or Centraal, seven

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Oude Kerk and De Wallen

    Oude Kerk and De Wallen: common questions

    What is the oldest building in Amsterdam?
    The Oude Kerk, the Old Church. A wooden chapel stood on its site by about 1213, and the stone church was consecrated in 1306.
    Can you take photos in the red-light district?
    You may photograph the streets and the canals, but not the women in the windows. It is forbidden, and they and the police take it seriously.
    Is the red-light district safe to visit?
    It is busy and well watched, and most visitors walk through it without trouble. Keep an eye on your belongings in the crowds, and avoid anyone selling in the street.
    How much time do you need for the Oude Kerk?
    Allow 1 to 2 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about the Oude Kerk

    Rating from Google

    4.4

    12,361 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 19 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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