There is a large, fairly obvious church located on the grounds of the Begijnhof, and then there is…read morethe Begijnhofkapel, a hidden church located right across from it. The large church used to be the church of the Catholic Beguines, the religious women that lived in the houses surrounding the grounds, but the Catholic religion lost out to Protestantism, and the church became the English Reformed Church. The Protestant leaders allowed the Beguines to build a new church on the condition that it not look like a church, so they decided to join two houses together, and today it is known as the hidden church. Obviously, it does not have the magnificence of a cathedral, but it is still a very pretty and charming little church. The 3 altars, woodwork, and artwork make it appear grander than it is. People today still use it to worship, so respect is still expected upon entering. This was a nice little surprise to discover in the heart of Amsterdam. 3/2020

While I hadn't initially known about Het Begijnhof before stumbling upon it on a weekend afternoon,…read moreI'm glad to have visited. It was an insightful glimpse into the hundreds of years of history and thousands of lives impacted by this community, for women seeking religious and economic sanctuary. While it doesn't balance out the inequity of treatment across classes, race, religion and gender back then, it's still quite a progressive undertaking for those times. Since many other reviews have gone into detail about the religious backgrounds, I'll just add a few observations: - walking up to the entrance gate, a security guard is posted at all times, he reminds visitors to respectful of the environment and inhabitants of the neighborhood. The streets around are pretty busy and loud so I'm glad that they're there to maintain a calmer environment. - no walking or stepping on the lawn areas, there are signs with this request posted around the outdoor spaces. - the chapel designed in 1671 within the two townhouses for catholic worship was considered a "hidden" church, since Catholicism wasn't openly sanctioned after the late 16th century. The church building on the courtyard is a Protestant church; both are working church structures. Though the English Reformed Church building isn't always open for visitor access. - there's no tourism photography allowed in the chapel so take note for those who like selfies. Begijnhof is free to visit, hours are 10am-6pm daily. For more info: begijnhofkapelamsterdam.nl

Yelp Review 2023 #94:…read more Located in the Red Light District is Amsterdam's oldest building with a long history that has nothing to do with prostitution whatsoever. Starting in the 1200's when this church was built for Catholics. It became a Protestant church in the 1500's when the Dutch were no longer fans of the Catholic Church and switched teams. It became as an archive center. Under the floors of this building is a graveyard. And now, it's an art center. The tickets are about €14 for adults and cheaper for children depending on their age, and students. It's open from 10am-6pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. Check their website for most current information. Outside the building you'll see bronze sculptures: a breastplate sculpture, and Belle the Sex Worker. Keep your eyes on the ground and around so you don't miss them.

Huge old cathedral in Amsterdam in the red light distract. It's mostly empty but a beautiful…read morebuilding and worth a quick look at for any visitors.

So I'm in A'Dam for work and on Sunday I look for church when I'm away. Catholic for a day!…read more St. Nicks, easy to find, Across from Centraaaaal Station. All good. Mass was 10:30 for me. The place was mostly full. Crowd was mostly Dutch and in upper-class casual. Folks kept their fancy coats on but I was amazed at the population. Full church! The church is beautiful and Interesting. Classic transept catholic style. Stations of the cross, helpfully numbered. Morning light streams thru the stained glass windows above the altar and in the cupola. Cool beans. Music was tops. Familiar hymn style tunes, Rather than Sunday school hits. Organist nails it, especially during the outro. What do you call that? The Tocatta&Fuge portion? It was boss tho. Choir came to win that day. Filled the place with choral winning. Service is Dutch so don't expect to understand anything, but It is familiar as a standard mass. A program is handed out prior by friendly bilingual Dutch folks. Priest spends time twice during service talking in English to make the visitors feel welcome and explain that coffee is available après. Final: if you prefer actually visiting a church rather than nosing your fat Anglo Hilfiger into someone else's parish like a tour'eifel noob, this place is a gooder.

Coming from our hotel we had seen this marvelous cathedral, and I knew we had to stop by on our…read morereturn. Fortunately it was open, as we saw some others going in. The cathedral is gorgeous, awe inspiring. The quiet and reverence here offers a complete escape from the outside world. After soaking up the timeless architecture we were lucky stumble on the choir practicing for their Saturday 5 PM performance - amazing, beautiful voices and music. We only wish we had more time and could have stayed for the complete performance.

The Erasmus Bridge is a beautiful cable-stayed and bascule bridge. The bridge is named after the…read morephilosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam. The bridge is asymmetrical. The light blue cable stayed section leans back which makes it look like a swan, hence the nickname "The Swan." The other span has a 292 foot bascule bridge. It is the largest panel of its type in the world, which makes sense as Rotterdam is one of the busiest ports in the world. The traffic back and forth under the bridge was mesmerizing. Beautiful to see from so many angles especially as we left the Port of Rotterdam.

The Erasmusbrug, also known as "The Swan," is a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge. Completed…read morein 1996, this bridge connects the city's northern and southern districts, offering stunning views. It was a must to walk across.

It's a nice square ringed with restaurants. Its a great location for exhibits, outdoor movies, food…read moreevents and just plain hanging out.