The Zuiderkerk, at Zuiderkerkhof 72, is the first church in Amsterdam built for Protestant worship. Designed by Hendrick de Keyser and built between 1603 and 1611, it has a tower, completed in 1614, that rises above the Nieuwmarkt district and the Groenburgwal, a stone's throw from the Rembrandt House. No services have been held here since 1929: the church is now a venue hired out for concerts, fairs and receptions, and it is only open to the public during these events. The tower, once visited on guided climbs, has been closed to visitors since summer 2023; no reopening had been announced as of October 2026. Think of the Zuiderkerk above all as a 10 to 15-minute photo stop on a walk through the neighbourhood.
Highlights
The tower from the canals
The Zuiderkerk's spire, with its clocks, slender columns and onion dome, rises above the canal houses. The best views are from the Kloveniersburgwal, the Groenburgwal and the Zwanenburgwal. Claude Monet painted the tower from the Groenburgwal around 1874; the painting hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The 1614 spire
Restored between 2014 and 2017, the upper part of the tower has regained its original dark grey colour. It houses a carillon by the Hemony brothers, 17th-century bell founders whose work can be found in several of the city's towers.
The churchyard gate
On the Sint Antoniesbreestraat, a stone gateway decorated with skulls, designed by Hendrick de Keyser, once marked the entrance to the church's former graveyard. Today it opens onto the small Zuiderkerkhof square at the foot of the church.
The graves and Rembrandt
Hendrick de Keyser, who died in 1621, is buried in his own church, as is Ferdinand Bol, a pupil of Rembrandt. Three of Rembrandt's children were buried here (he lived nearby on the Jodenbreestraat), and his son Titus was baptised here in 1641.
From church to venue
Closed for worship in 1929, the church served as a temporary morgue during the Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 and was restored between 1976 and 1979. It housed the city's information centre on urban planning until 2010 and is now hired out for private and public events.
Public events
A few concerts and fairs are open to everyone. In October 2026: a concert by the Bach Ensemble Amsterdam on 4 October at 3 pm, the international antiquarian book fair on 10 and 11 October (free entry to the Arthur van Schendel exhibition, Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm), and a Voicepassion concert on 30 October at 8 pm.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Do not come expecting to climb the tower: it has been closed to visitors since summer 2023 and the city has not found an operator for the guided tours. To see the inside, pick a concert or fair listed on the church's events calendar. For a view over the neighbourhood from above, the tower of the Oude Kerk can be climbed in season. Situation checked in October 2026.
How to get there
Zuiderkerkhof 72, 1011 WB Amsterdam (access to the square through the gate on the Sint Antoniesbreestraat). About a 15-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal station. Metro Nieuwmarkt (lines 51, 53 and 54) or Waterlooplein, about a 5-minute walk.
Opening hours
Nearby
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