Keizersgrachtkerk: Church in Grachtengordel, Amsterdam

★★★★★ 4.7

The Keizersgrachtkerk is a neo-Gothic church from 1888 on the canal of the same name in central Amsterdam, with a progressive Protestant congregation. You go for a Sunday service with open liturgy, a concert or a shared meal. G.B. and A. Salm built it for the Dolerenden, the group that split from the Dutch Reformed Church under Abraham Kuyper in the Doleantie of 1886. It was the first of five churches they put up in the city between 1888 and 1892, and the only one still used as a church. The church describes the hall as the architectural little sister of Paradiso. It once held 1,600 people; it now seats about 250, and the building is a rijksmonument. Since 1972 the congregation has followed a progressive course, with bread and cup shared every week and a service during Pride. The Sunday service can also be followed online. The Steenkuyl organ and a Bechstein grand make the hall a concert venue, and the Orchestra of the 18th Century rehearses here. The church and its Tuinzaal can be hired, and a monthly meal is open to anyone. There is a ramp, a lift and an induction loop. The Sunday service starts at 10:30, and people who find walking difficult can ask for a lift through the church's driving service. You can park on the canal or in the garage opposite, which is cheaper if you book ahead.