Sacred Spaces in the Netherlands

Discover 14 sacred spaces in the Netherlands.

Haarlem's Big Church.

Haarlem, Netherlands

Grote Kerk

This towering church is home to a world-famous organ and a treasure trove of medieval art.

Permanently Closed

Skatehal Arnhem.

Arnhem, Netherlands

Skatehal Arnhem

A long-closed church turned into a saintly skate park.

Uniastate Bears.

Bears, Netherlands

Uniastate Bears

This steel frame is a skeletal mirage of a lost 16th-century stone building.

Entrance to the hidden chapel.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Begijnhof Chapel

A hidden church in a hidden courtyard tells the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

The nave has been repurposed to include the reception, restaurants, and guest spaces.

Maastricht, Netherlands

Kruisherenhotel

A luxury hotel housed in a former 15th century Gothic church.

A place to sit and read in the oldest Jewish library in the world

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Biblioteca Ets Haim

The world's oldest Jewish library was founded by Sephardic Jews in 17th century Amsterdam.

Corpus Hermeticum: first edition, by Marsilio Ficino, 1471 CE, at the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (Ritman Library)

This impressive collection of rare books on ancient mysticism inspired author Dan Brown.

Hooglandse Kerk clock

Leiden, Netherlands

Hooglandse Kerk Clock

Once housed in the towers of this Gothic church, this 17th century clock still ticks today.

Our Lord in the Attic

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our Lord in the Attic

The attic of a four-century-old canal house hides a clandestine church.

Jheronimus Bosch Art Center

's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Jheronimus Bosch Art Center

Take a stroll through the hellish grotesques of Hieronymus Bosch in this elaborate Netherlands church.

Selexyz Dominicanen

Maastricht, Netherlands

Selexyz Dominicanen

This centuries-old gothic monster has been converted into a sprawling, glossy bookstore.

(Flickr/fidelramos)

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oudekerksplein

This city square is home to Amsterdam's oldest church and a statue honoring Dutch sex workers.

Wiuwert, Netherlands

Preserved Mummies of the Hervormde Kerk

A bizarre form of natural mummification was discovered in the church of this Frisian village.

Oudenbosch, Netherlands

Basiliek Oudenbosch

Scale model of St. Peter's Cathedral (Rome) in the middle of a small Dutch town.

Are we missing something unusual in the Netherlands?