Onze Lieve Vrouwe Toren

Utrecht Province


This 15th-century Gothic tower is Amersfoort's defining architectural icon. It's the only surviving component of a church that was otherwise destroyed by an unfortunate gunpowder blast in 1787. To climb the 346 steps, buy tour tickets from the nearby tourist office.

You don't need a ticket to wander into the base and look down, watching two crosshairs mesh indicating Amersfoort's location on a map of the Netherlands. The tower traditionally marked the exact centre of the country and is still used as a reference point in the Dutch geographical coordinate system.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Utrecht Province attractions

1. Mondriaanhuis

0.12 MILES

This small but absorbing museum honours the life and work of the famous De Stijl artist Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) in the house where he was born.

2. Sint Joriskerk

0.16 MILES

If the tower of the Sint Joriskerk appears to be popping out of the roof, that's because it's all that remains of the original 13th-century church; the…

3. Koppelpoort

0.27 MILES

This 1425 gateway guards the northwest entrance of what was once the city wall. It was given a Pierre Cuypers Gothic-revival restoration in the 1880s and…

4. Kade Museum

0.33 MILES

This boldly designed gallery hosts large-scale temporary exhibitions devoted to contemporary visual artists or themes. The gallery closes for around three…

5. Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park

4.85 MILES

Cycling and hiking is ideal in this 65km green arc east of Utrecht city. The national park has the Netherlands' second-largest sweep of wildlife-rich…

6. Pyramide van Austerlitz

4.87 MILES

One of the oddest rural landmarks south of Amersfoort is a 36m-high pyramid-shaped hill that was originally built in 1804 to keep some 18,000 French…

7. Huis Doorn

8.8 MILES

Set in beautifully tended parkland in otherwise forgettable Doorn, this refined, art-filled manor house had numerous owners, but none more infamous than…

8. Rietveld-Schröderhuis

11.29 MILES

Years ahead of its time, this small but uniquely conceived house was built in 1924 by celebrated Utrecht designer Gerrit Rietveld. He'd be amazed to find…