At 600 years old, this is Amsterdam’s “new” church—the city’s Oude Kerk, or Old Church, dates back to the 1200s. Located next to the Royal Palace on Dam Square, this grand Gothic building is no longer a place of worship but a venue for temporary art, photography, history, and cultural exhibitions. It’s also the site for royal marriages and inaugurations. The richly decorated interior, fully restored after a devastating fire in 1645, features an ornate altar with a gleaming brass choir screen, stained-glass windows dating from the mid-17th century, and the largest pipe organ in the Netherlands.
