ANNE FRANK HOUSE, Westerkerk

The stretch of the Prinsengracht that the Anne Frank House looks onto is dominated by the high tower of the Westerkerk, or Western Church, the most important religious building from Amsterdam’s Golden Age.

The architect Hendrick de Keyzer, assisted by his son Pieter, was entrusted with the construction of large Calvinist churches at the compass points of the city, as part of the urban plan for Canal District.

The Westerkerk was built between 1620 and 1631, between the outer ring of the Prinsengracht and the working-class Jordaan neighborhood. The 85-meter-high bell tower is topped with a globe and the imperial crown, gifted by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The balcony offers the finest views in the city over Amsterdam Old Town.

The beautiful exterior of the church, with red bricks alternating with light-colored stone, leads into an interior of absolute austerity, because the severe Calvinist doctrine shuns decoration of any kind: plenty of light floods in from the large windows, and the only embellishment inside the church is the magnificent organ, dating to 1682. The pews and seats all face the pulpit, instead of the altar, as in Catholic churches....