The former Church of Our Lord in the Attic, in Dutch Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, is today one of Amsterdam’s most unusual museums. This place of worship was built clandestinely in the 17th century on the three highest floors of a house overlooking the Oudezijds Voorburgwal in the centre, not far from the Oude Kerk.
It is one of the most interesting examples of clandestine churches or‘schuilkerk‘ in the country, inside which Catholics and other religious dissidents worshipped at the time of the Dutch Reformation, when public demonstrations and masses were prohibited by law.
After the opening of St. Nicholas Basilica, to this day the main Catholic church in Amsterdam, the Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder lost its usefulness, and in 1888 it was turned into a museum, the oldest in the city after the Rijkmuseum.
When it closed, the Church of Our Lord in the Attic became a museum with the name Museum Amstelkring. Today it has taken its original name of Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder and is visited by about 100,000 people every year.
Inside you can admire the main room, the church, the chapel, the confessional and the kitchen, dating back to the 17th century. The property has been recognised as a Rijksmonument, i.e. a place of national interest in the Netherlands, by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE), which acts on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
The atmosphere of the museum manages to surprise every visitor, and the Delft ceramics hanging on the walls give the whole building a very characteristic Dutch touch.
The Museum of Our Lord in the Attic can be visited all year round independently or by private tours, available in Dutch, English, German and French. The duration of the visit is about one hour and reservations are necessary.
It is of course possible to visit it independently without a guide, it is free of charge for holders of the I Amsterdam Card and for children up to the age of 5. Admission is charged for adults and children from 6 to 18 years pay the reduced rate.
The Museum of Our Lord in the Attic is closed on 27 April, King’s Day, and on the other days it has the following opening hours:
The museum is located within walking distance of the Oude Kerk. To get there by metro, therefore, you have to follow the same steps as for a tour of the city centre, i.e. get off at Centraal and go via the Damrak or get off at Nieuwmarkt and go towards the Oude Kerk. From both stops it takes less than 10 minutes on foot.
The museum is located in the medieval centre, at 40 Oudezijds Voorburgwal, not far from the Oude Kerk.
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