Westerkerk: Kerk in Jordaan, Amsterdam

The Westerkerk is a 17th-century Protestant church on the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, on the edge of the Jordaan and a few steps from the Anne Frank House. It is free to walk in on weekdays, and people come to see where Rembrandt was buried, to hear the organ and to look up at the Westertoren, the tallest church tower in Amsterdam. Hendrick de Keyser designed the church, which was built between 1620 and 1631 and remains the largest church built as Protestant in the Netherlands. Look for the Duyschot organ with its panels painted by Gerard de Lairesse, the Flentrop choir organ, and the plaque for Rembrandt, who was buried here on 8 October 1669, though the exact spot is unknown. Organ recitals are a regular part of the programme, and the Westerwinkel gift shop sells books and souvenirs. The church is still in use, with a service every Sunday morning, and it opens for concerts, lectures and hire as well. The Westertoren rises about 87 metres and carries the imperial crown added in 1637. Anne Frank wrote about hearing its bells in her diary, and Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg were married here on 10 March 1966. Check the visitor page before you go, as the church closes on some dates, and at the time of writing the tower cannot be climbed.