Why go

From the canal, the house at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38 looks like any other merchant’s home in the old centre. But climb its steep stairs and you reach something extraordinary: a complete Catholic church, with an altar, an organ and galleries, built across the attics of three houses in the 1660s.

After the Reformation, Catholics in Amsterdam were not allowed to worship in public, but the city authorities tolerated private churches as long as they could not be seen from the street. A wealthy merchant, Jan Hartman, built this hidden church in his home, and it served the neighbourhood for two centuries. Today it is one of the oldest and best-preserved museums in the city, and a moving reminder of Amsterdam’s tradition of quiet tolerance.

The museum is more than the church. The rooms below have been restored to show how a well-off family lived in the 17th century, with a grand parlour, a kitchen, a box bed and even the tiny room where the priest slept. A modern visitor centre next door, connected underground, holds the entrance, café and shop.

Few places explain the character of Amsterdam so clearly. The city’s merchants valued trade and order above religious unity, and a blind eye was turned to hidden churches like this one, as long as their congregations kept a low profile. Several such churches existed, but this is the only one to survive in its original form, and walking up through the house to find it is an unforgettable experience. The church is still consecrated, and concerts and occasional services are held here.

What to see

  • The attic church. A full church under the roof, with three galleries, an altar painting and a working organ.
  • The grand parlour. A formal 17th-century room, richly decorated, on the canal side of the house.
  • The priest’s room. A tiny bedroom tucked away beside the church.
  • The kitchens. Original tiled kitchens and the staircases that link the houses.
  • Church silver and vestments. Objects used in services over the centuries.

Plan your visit

Our Lord in the Attic is open every day from 10am to 6pm. On the first Sunday of every month from September to June it opens at 11am, because of church services, and it is closed on 25 December and on King’s Day, 27 April.

Adults pay €18, children aged 5 to 17 pay €7.50, and children up to 4 go free. Holders of a CJP or Dutch student card pay €11.50; other foreign student cards are not accepted. Entry is free with the Museumkaart and the I amsterdam City Card. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

The house has steep, narrow stairs, as you would expect in a canal house, so it is not suitable for everyone. It is on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, about seven minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal.

Nearby

The Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest building, is a few steps away, and the Red Light District surrounds the museum. Nieuwmarkt, with its castle-like Waag, is a short walk east, and Dam Square and the Royal Palace are about five minutes to the west.