Beautiful Catholic Church with High Mass in Dutch. But, they also offer Sunday Mass in English,…read morewhich is great for visitors! Highly recommend this church if you are visiting Amsterdam and a Catholic (or, simply looking for Jesus).

The English Reformed Church is a Rijksmonument located in the center of Amsterdam near the Rokin…read moretrain station off the busy walking shopping street after you pass Zara. It is located inside the peaceful and quiet Het Begijnhof which is private property and is open from 9:30-18:00 (February-October) and 9:30-17:00 (November-January.) The homes in this area date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The black home is said to be one of the oldest homes in Amsterdam. The Begijens where single Catholic women who performed good deeds but did not to live in a convent and take vows. This was a Roman Catholic enclave in the predominantly Protestant Amsterdam for more than 200 years. There are still women (Begijnen or Beguines) living here. Major restoration was done in this area in 1987. Located across from the Beginhof Kapel (chapel), (the official hidden church because Roman Catholics were not allowed to openly practice their religion from 1578-1795), is the English Reformed Church. This is a Presbyterian congregation with ties to the Church of Scotland and the Protestant Church of the Netherlands. Worship is at 10:30 on Sundays. There is no scheduled opening hours for visitors. The original church was built in 1419 and was a place of worship for the Begijnen community but burned down in a fire in 1421. The current chapel was built towards the end of the 15th century and has been used for English-language worship since 1607. There is a plague on the exterior wall for the Pilgrim Fathers who first settled in Amsterdam before living in Leiden and prior to taking the journey to North America on The Mayflower. I also wanted to see in the back of the chancel the only stained glass window in the church which was gifted in 1920 by Mr. Edward Bok of the United States on the 300th anniversary of the departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Leiden to the New World. This window signifies the presence of the Pilgrim Fathers who had previously lived in Amsterdam. I believe I will have to attend a service to see the window. www.erc.amsterdam

This place surprised my because I didn't actually expect there to be an English speaking church in…read moreAmsterdam that dated back to the 17th Century, but it turned out that this one did. The thing is that most of the English churches that exist on the continent I was under the impression were plants either from England or the United States and simply served expats, and also were established sometime in the late twentieth century. However, it turned out that this was not the case as this church has been operational, as an English speaking church, for centuries. There is actually quite a lot of history to this place, and they are more than happy to share it with you. In fact the Catholic church that this building used to house ended up moving across the road, and it is in existence to this day. I also found that the congregation were also really friendly, and the church is also open for tourist to wander around inside, though not when there is a service in progress (though they are more than happen for you to join in).

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

This magnificiently manicured compound is a free attraction in Amsterdam with an interesting…read morehistory. Strictly a female residential commune. Women are on a long list to reside here with certain restrictions: They are over thirty five years old, widowed, no children and poverty stricken. The grassy courtyard is full of beautiful colored trees and two active Protestant churches. Monies are derived from donations and a gift shop.

The Jewish Cultural Quarter is east of the city center with Europe's largest and oldest active…read moresynagogues. Its magnificent interior looks much as it did in 1675, with its original towering stone columns, vaulted timber ceiling & wooden pews surrounding a massive Torah ark made of gleaming wood. Evening services are illuminated by hundreds of candles in the large brass chandeliers. The sheer size of the synagogue & it's beauty left us awestruck. The Portuguese Synagogue is the functioning house of prayer of the Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam. On days when no services are held, this magnificent esnoga and the hidden treasure chambers are open to visitors. What makes this building so remarkable is that its interior has remained completely intact. No heating or electricity has been installed and it's lit by a thousand candles you see all around. At night, by candlelight and the candlelit concerts are supposed to be incredible. The world's oldest functioning Jewish library is also here: Ets Haim Livraria Montezinos, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Lovely 17th century Sephardic synagogue in one of Amsterdam's most charming districts!…read more Audio tour is informative and well orchestrated. Be sure to visit the (very close) Jewish History Museum AND the Museum of the Dutch Resistance while you're in this part of one of my two favorite European cities.

Jacob Obrechtkerk is a beautiful Catholic Church in the Museumquarter. It is often open so you can…read morego in to see it, pray or light a candle. It normally closes at 5pm during the week. I live opposite this church and am writing this review after experiencing a number of events with them. They seem to have a real heart in the community that worships there and an influence even on those that do not; there which is good to see. I've seen people queuing around the block to get into the candlelit St Matthew's Passion rendition, seen marching bands with small children parading with Easter eggs and crosses on Palm Sunday through the Vondelpark and events such as this today with the music festival. It is a real community church that is not just a building but has a real soul in the community - that likes to sing and dance :)

According to a local - this location is never open - so it was exciting to see the gates open…read more We popped in to see what beauty there was. It has an amazing vestibule, the stained glass windows were pretty interesting - many different parables seems to be shown. Gorgeous ceiling, a nice place to enjoy a quiet prayer, or enjoy the architecture and beauty.

From the owner: De 'Krijtberg' heet officieel Rooms-Katholieke Kerk van Sint Franciscus Xaverius. Sinds 1654 wordt…read moreer aan het Singel in Amsterdam gebeden en gepreekt in een huis met de naam Crijtberg. Met de bouw van de huidige kerk werd in 1881 begonnen. De neogotische kerk werd ontworpen door Alfred Tepe en gewijd in 1883.

The former Jewish Quarter is where from the late 16th century to WWII most Jews lived. The Statue…read more'De Dokwerker' on the Jonas Daniël Meijerplein, waserected in memory of the February Strike of 1941 For more than 350 years, Amsterdam was a center of Jewish life & its Jewish community was a major contributor to the city's vitality and prosperity. The Waterlooplein area was their neighborhood, where they held their market & built their synagogues. In 1593, Sephardic Jews from Portugal & Spain settled in this neighbourhood. In the course of the 17th century Ashkenazi Jews from Central, Eastern, and partly Western Europe also moved into the area. After WWII those that survived relocated to Israel, Canada & the United States. There are art installations & guest speakers bringing attention back to this neighborhood.

Area in Amsterdam of significant historical importance which was renovated by the country for…read moreJewish. It doesn't look like a ghetto or old because it was modernized. The designs were done by architect students so you'll find groovy angles and curves. Why we're students hired and not architects? Well because they were cheap! Toured this area as part of a walking tour..great to know the history of this place!