Our Lord in the Attic Hotels Amsterdam

Amsterdam Hotels near Our Lord in the Attic

During the Reformation, Dutch Catholics were obliged to keep their faith out of sight. Though officially forbidden, a certain amount of tolerance was extended to the Catholic church, as long as it was kept away from public view. In keeping with this spirit, a wealthy merchant named Jan Hartman constructed a hidden church inside a stately canal house.

This museum, the Museum Amstelkring, offers a lot of value for one ticket. Aside from gaining access to the magnificent church on the top floor, the visitor can view a well preserved Amsterdam canal house from the Dutch golden age and see fascinating artefacts of daily life.

The church still functions today with occasional services and ceremonies. Amongst the grander features of the church are the breath taking altar and the perfectly scaled pipe organ. However, don't let the wonderful interior distract you from the rarely glimpsed views of Amsterdam's rooftops out the windows.

The rest of the building includes living quarters, kitchen, reception rooms, a confessional and a smaller chapel. The interiors are wonderfully maintained, paying tribute to the grandeur of Amsterdam's brief period as world super power.

The museum is located close to the epicentre of the Red Light District, and just down the canal from the Old Church. A fun pre-museum activity is to stand on a nearby bridge and see if you can spot the church from the outside: No easy task.

Our Lord in the Attic is an attractive curiosity for history buffs, but also for anyone eager to get a sense of life in Amsterdam in times past. As it is not far from central station, and free with the Museum Card or the IAmsterdam Card, a visit is highly recommended for even short stay visitors.

Contact:
Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder ("Our Lord in the Attic"); Museum Amstelkring, Oude Zijde Voorburgwal 40, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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