From the water
As a contrast to the colourful neighbourhood of the Red Light District, there is also the monolithic Old Church, the oldest church of Amsterdam, built in the twelfth century. Its ceiling is the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe. Rembrandt, the famous painter, was a frequent visitor and all of his children were christened here. The Old Church is now a centre for contemporary art and heritage. The square surrounding it is the Oudekerksplein, with many bars and terraces. But what is more interesting in this quarter is that right next to the church you can see red light windows, and you know what that means. And if you look deeper into the street, you will see windows with a green sticker, and that is a kindergarten. So here comes the nice joke, that daddies in Amsterdam have a really nice life: they can take the child to daycare, then buy a joint, do some window shopping, and afterwards confess at the church, like nothing ever happened.
The story behind it
The Old Church started as a small wooden chapel around 1213 and grew over three centuries into the Gothic basilica you see today. Its floor is made almost entirely of gravestones — around 2,500 of them — including that of Saskia, Rembrandt’s wife.
Today the church is a cultural venue hosting contemporary art exhibitions and concerts on its historic organs. From the water you get a beautiful view of the tower, whose carillon still plays over the rooftops of the old centre.
On your cruise
This is stop 2 of 23 on the Friendship route. Before this you passed The Bulldog Coffeeshop, and the boat continues towards Our Lord in the Attic. Your skipper will point it out as you pass — keep your camera ready, because from the water you see details that are easily missed from the street.
Want to see it in person? All our cruises follow the heart of this route, and with a private cruise you can even ask your skipper to linger a little longer at your favourite spots.
