Westerkerk

The Westerkerk is the main gathering place for Amsterdam’s Dutch Reformed Church community. Rembrandt, who died bankrupt in 1669 at nearby Rozengracht, is buried somewhere in the church – perhaps near the grave of his son Titus, where there’s a commemorative plaque. A highlight is the bell tower, Amsterdam’s highest church tower at 85m. It’s topped by the imperial crown that Habsburg emperor Maximilian I bestowed to the city’s coat of arms in 1489. The climb (186 steps) during the 60-minute tour is steep and claustrophobic, but there are periodic landings where you can rest while the guide describes the bells and other workings of the massive carillon.