What's not to like about this place. It is free to enter (touchless donation options available) -…read morebright, airy and beautiful! So much history. Right next to the Anne Frank museum, the heart of Amsterdam West and Jordaan. I hear the church bells ring all day from my apartment. I didn't realize we could enter for free. It was my first time here. Very wonderful. We were on a Dutch language class field trip so had to find some clues in there. It's a must see when visiting Amsterdam. I suggest maybe skipping the Anne Frank house if the lines are long, (but lately with online reservations, seems okay!), and go here. I doubt the tower is open these days with Covid times, but maybe in two, three years when Covid is gone, it will be open once again.

This is the biggest church in Holland and right next to the hotel we were staying at. After walking…read moreby it multiple times, we decided to stop by and am glad we did. It was built in the early 1600's and is stunning both inside and out. Sadly the observation deck was closed when we were there. And cool factoid for you...Rembrandt was buried here.

We decided to go to Haarlem for the day. Unfortunately it was Monday and there's not as much opened…read moreon Monday but we were lucky to see this beautiful church. There's lots to see and we spent quite a bit time here. The organ is massive and gorgeous and Mozart played on it at the age of 10! We recommend seeing this impressive expansive place.

We decided to stay In Haarlem just a bus 20 minute bus ride from Amsterdam, the church is in the…read moremarketplace and is rich with Dutch culture, the gothic church is beautifully decorated with splashes of royal red inside which compliments the Muller Organ wonderfully, the church bells and light are a peaceful reminder of the presence of this wonderful church, inside are graves of the wealthy. Rotted bodies buried underneath large slabs of stone seeped up into the church, this is where the term "Stinking rich" comes from. Don't worry it doesn't smell any longer and added a wonderful touch after returning from other cities and places. We would come up and enjoy the rest of our evenings here peacefully while overlooking the church.

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.

This is a stunning church, the Basilica of St. Nicholas, sits across from the Centraal train…read morestation in Amsterdam. One of my favorite things to do while traveling especially Europe is, to randomly walk into an intriguing church-- must be part of my Catholic upbringing, ha! Named after the patron saint of Amsterdam, the basilica was designed by architect Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912). It's stark somber looking on the outside, stark stunning looking inside. I appreciate the church's use of technology. It's the only church I've seen with electronic confessionals. The church also has a very well designed and branded website. There are 5 churches in this conglomerate and St. Nicholas is the most ornate. The dome of the church is visually awesome, intricately constructed. I had to take photos. St Nicholas is a beautiful work of art and I like it more inside than outside. I very well understand the decades sometimes centuries of toil and pain artisans went through to create Art to please the church's exacting standards. The Sistine Chapel is probably the epitome of that dedication. For these historical reasons, I've come to appreciate pre 1900 churches all over the world. Another really supahcalifragilisticoolthing I discovered was the church holds mass in Gregorian Chant. Wowzah! Now that was amaaaazzzzzzing mass to experience after a long night of debauchery and partying in Amsterdam. Geniusly Sick! Website: http://www.nicolaas-parochie.nl/ Visits: 2

As an American, I was especially touched to see the Engelese Kerk, built originally in 1420. A…read morerefuge for those suffering from religious persecution in England, it is the site where the Pilgrims prayed before sailing on the Mayflower for religious freedom in America. Do check out the poignant stained glass depiction of this in the far back of the Church.

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.

This church is managed by 'stadsherstel'(this means city renovation). It is used for markets,…read moreconcerts etc During covid lockdown dec 2020, they hosted a piano festival. I bought the ticket online, well in advance, which was a good thing. With limited audience size, concerts sell out very fast. What i liked: - historic building - good avoustic - covid rules well followed

De Duif is a church, and as such it has a nicely decorated interior and exterior. But it also…read moreserves as event space, and I have participated to an event right into it. Obviously events organization can't be rated, as it is subjective to the organizers, but the church has several services to support them, including a bar serving beers and drinks (yes, a real bar with taps and all right inside of the church!) and a kitchen preparing finger food and snacks for the attendants. Events or not, if you're in the area have a stop at De Duif and visit this nice church.

We caught mass here while on holiday. Thanks God they have English mass at 1800 on Sunday. They…read morealso have masses at 1900 on Saturday and Sunday morning on 1115 and 1300. Before the English mass they have confession. It just occurred to me that I should have gone to confession because there is .01% chance I'd ever see that priest again. Even though the whole mass was in English we still fell asleep. Not because it was boring but we were still jet lagged. The community was very welcoming! We missed the potluck social dinner by one week. Darn! Before or after mass, round the corner to go to the stroopwafel museum!!! The museum is lame but they have the most delicious freshly made stroopwafels!!!! We picked up a bogo coupon from a nearby liquor store. It was awesome. Oh yeah the church is awesome too (refer to picture). It's crazy how the church is just sandwiched in between houses on the block...but you can't miss it when you walk by! Unless you're high tailing it to the stroopwafels...

I have been living in Amsterdam for quite some time. This month I toke the initiative to finally…read morevisit inside the He Hua temple. The funny thing is that I have always taken my friends here who visit Amsterdam. I have even taken pictures of my friends beside the Temple but never thought of me going inside to see what it's like. I think it's because I toke for granted that I lived in Amsterdam. So, I finally toke the opportunity to visit "He Hua Temple" on Zeedijk Street. Must I say what a great experience it was to visit this joyful Buddhist temple. He Hua is one of the largest Buddhist Temple in Europe. The objective of the temple is to purify human hearts and minds through several practices. My particular favorite is the "universal welfare of the being of this world" and cherishing every moment in life. "He Hua" means equivalent to flower, which represents a special kind of water lily that plays an important role in Buddhism. It's also a representation of the symbol of enlightenment and one of their key goals is to help Dutch Buddhism blossom in Amsterdam. I bought a few books in here, which I could not help to resist. This temple is truly one of the loveliest parts of Chinatown. It's a must see if you happen to be in Amsterdam.

He Hua Temple is in the heart of Chinatown and is well kept with your typical Chinese religious…read morefigures in the room. The statues and architecture of the building is like a miniature figure of what you would normally see in China. Nice little place to visit and see different cultures. Be sure to donate a few coins in their donation box.