Oude Kerk Amsterdam: opening hours, tickets and Saskia's grave

The Oude Kerk, at Oudekerksplein 23, is the oldest building in Amsterdam: a wooden chapel stood here around 1213, and the stone church was consecrated in 1306 and dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It stands in the heart of the Red Light District, a few minutes' walk from Central Station. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 5:30pm; a ticket costs €14.50, free up to age 12 and with the Museumkaart or the I amsterdam City Card. Protestant since 1578, the church now hosts contemporary art exhibitions while keeping its wooden vault, its stained glass and a floor made entirely of tombstones. Allow about an hour for your visit.

Highlights

The wooden vault

The oak-plank ceiling of the nave is one of the largest medieval wooden vaults in Europe. Look up to spot the medieval paintings preserved on the vaults, then look down: the floor is made of some 2,500 tombstones, as burials inside the church continued until the 19th century.

Saskia's grave and the organs

Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt's wife, was buried in 1642 beneath the small choir organ at the side of the church. The great Baroque organ, commissioned in 1724 from the organ builder Christian Vater and completed in 1726, turns 300 in 2026, with an organ marathon on 17 October. The composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, the church's organist, is also buried here.

The church from the canal

From the bank of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal you see the church's Gothic outline, its tower and the small houses built against its walls. On the Oudekerksplein, the bronze statue "Belle" pays tribute to the neighbourhood's sex workers.

The Lady Chapel and the stained glass

The Lady Chapel keeps medieval stained-glass windows that survived the iconoclasm of 1566 and the stripping of the interior after the city turned Protestant in 1578. A contemporary red window by Giorgio Andreotta Calò was installed in 2018, and two windows in the north aisle were put back in spring 2025.

Contemporary art

The church shows contemporary art exhibitions in the nave and archive displays in the side chapels. From 13 November 2026 to 7 March 2027 it presents the artist Mire Lee; between two exhibitions, the church closes for a few days while the new show is installed.

Opening hours and prices

Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 5:30pm; closed on 27 April (King's Day), 25 December and while exhibitions are installed (in 2026 until 2 October, then from 9 to 12 November). Full price €14.50, students and ages 13-17 €7.50, free up to age 12 and with the Museumkaart, the I amsterdam City Card or the Stadspas. Card payment only, on site or online.

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