Oude Kerk

It is the city’s oldest surviving building (from 1306) built to honour the city’s patron saint, St Nicholas (the inspiration for red-suited Saint Nick). In one of Europe’s great moral contradictions, the tower, arguably Amsterdam’s most beautiful, commands a magnificent view – one that includes the Red Light District. But maybe the view’s no contradiction at all: some of the 15th-century carvings on the choir stalls are downright naughty. There’s also a stunning Müller organ, gilded oak vaults and stained-glass windows from 1555. As in the Nieuwe Kerk, many famous Amsterdammers are buried under worn tombstones, including Rembrandt’s first wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh.