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Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Attribution
The oldest of the five main churches in the historic centre, and probably the oldest building in Amsterdam. It is right in the heart of the Red Light District. You can climb the tower from April to September on Saturday and Sunday, every half-hour. Also open in the winter by group appointment (maximum 10 people) cost €70 per hour. E-mail for more information.
The Oude Kerk is a Reformed church in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being the oldest parish church in the city. The oldest structure in Amsterdam, the building was founded around 1213 and consecrated in 1306 as a Roman Catholic church by the bishop of Utrecht with Saint Nicolas as its patron saint. After the Reformation in 1578, it became a Reformed (Calvinist) church, which it remains today. It is located in De Wallen and since 2012, the church has also housed contemporary art exhibitions. The square surrounding the church is the Oudekerksplein.
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Our Lord in the Attic
One of the oldest museums in Amsterdam, this is a Catholic church stuffed into the upper stories of a house built in 1663, when Catholics were persecuted and had to disguise their churches. It's amazing to see how they fit worshippers, an organ, and an altar into such a narrow place.
Take a guided tour and check out the view from the top of the old stock exchange tower. It was built in 1903 (by Hendrik Petrus Berlage) and is considered the beginning of modern Dutch architecture. Costs €3.50, located on Beursplein near Dam Square.
The latest gimmicky tourist attraction near the Centraal Station, it's a small museum about medieval torture and torture devices. In the Middle Ages, torture was a widely known punishment for almost all crimes committed, ranging from rape to murder, and above all for heresy. The type of punishment depended on the victim's crime and social status. The Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments displays over 100 devices used to torture people. Before its make-over, it used to be the Vodka Museum; the vodka shop is still open in the basement with free entry.
Opened for over twenty years, the Hash Museum is dedicated to debunking the lies and demonization about one of our most useful plants, the hemp plant. Although small, busy and seriously overpriced, it is a well-done museum where people go to get informed.
The largest and most prestigious museum for sex art and sex history in the Netherlands. It shows a lot of sex oddities. Only ages 16 and up are allowed entry.
A large spire that functions as a memorial for the victims of World War II. It was designed by architect J.J.P. Oud and revealed on 4 May 1956. Every 4 May, at the Remembrance of the Dead, a ceremony is held here to commemorate all civilians and members of the Dutch armed forces that died in World War II and later armed conflicts.