Three religious places to visit in Amsterdam in November
Now that the most beautiful festive season is almost here and Christmas is at the door, I want to present three beautiful religious homes in the capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam city. These places have great importance as far as religion is concerned, but are also very nice landmarks with great architectural significance and historical appeal.
The first place that is in my focus today is the church De Krijtberg, which is one of the most beautiful churches in the country. This is a Catholic Church, placed on Spui in the center of Amsterdam. It is made for services of the Catholic church and is open for visitors every day except Friday, from 13.30 o’clock just half ah hour before the mass starts and is closed at 17 o’clock. The official name of the church is Roman Catholic Church of Sint Franciscus Xaverius, however locally the church is known just as De Krijtberg. The place has been visited by people who wanted to pray since year 1654, but the building of the church was officially started many years later, in year 1881. It has Neo Gothic style and comes with high windows. The church has a large organ, called the organ of Adema, which is used here since year 1905. Travelers say that De Krijtberg is among the most beautiful churches in the city of Amsterdam, since it has detailed paintings and many colors on the walls and ceilings. The place is full of light and the atmosphere is pleasant and inviting.
This photo of Evangelical Lutheran Church
The next church to be presented is the Lutheran Church, which also serves as a wedding chapel and a library. The church is named after the reformer Martin Luther and was built back in year 1633. It gave shelter to the Lutheran refugees from many European cities and also to the Suriname people. Since year 1961 and still today, the church has been rented by the Amsterdam University along with its accompanying buildings, which are used for various congresses and conferences, orations and doctoral degrees. The Lutheran Church features seven houses, which are constructed in a row. This includes one main church on three floors. The capacity of the place is several thousand people. Now there is also a library here, the Tetterode Library, which is set next to the wedding chapel. The place is open every day.
This photo of Old Church (Oude Kerk)
Now, the last place sto be described here is Oude Kerk, which is the oldest building of Amsterdam, constructed in year 1306. The church is located in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and is open every day, as follows Mpnday to Saturday from 11 to 17 o’clock and Sunday from 13 until 17 o’clock. Before the Amsterdam revolution from 1578, the church was Catholic, but later it was adopted by the Protestants. On that same year, the Oude Kerk became also a place for marriages. For a certain period of time, it was also used as a city archive. Interesting to be seen here is the largest medieval wooden vault on the continent and the Estonian planks which create the finest acoustics in Europe. The church is thus used for concerts and exhibitions.
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November Clubbing in Amsterdam
November is a great month to go clubbing and dancing. It is cold outside, it is warm and nice in the pubs and clubs, and the atmosphere is joyful, since everybody is waiting for the Christmas holidays that are coming. There are a few places in Amsterdam that are great for some evening entertainments and they are all offering great music and reasonable prices.
Among the good places for a nice evening in Amsterdam this month is the concert hall Het Concertgebouw. There one could attend an opera or an orchestra concert of classic or jazz music. The place offers also an orchestra made of young people, and there are also free lunch concerts and Sunday Morning Concerts. For those who have more time, there is a Concert Hall tour before the Sunday morning concerts.
Now, those who are more into the wild clubbing than the orchestra concerts, there is the club De Kring. This is usually a members club, but now it is open for clubbing during the weekends. Next to it is the Club Up, which has a separate entrance. Both places are great for parties and thus there is often a queue outside. The music here is great and the atmosphere is joyful. The program of the club is given on the club’s website. The place opens at 23 o’clock and works until 4 o’clock in the morning.
For those who love the underground music, there is the place De Nieuwe Anita, which is a great bar with good music. Downstairs, there is a venue for an alternative music, special dance parties and underground films. The place is famous as the club where the good bands play just before they get too famous to go clubbing. The people who love to come here are usually artists and students, and real adventurers. The club is placed on Frederik Hendrikstraat in Amsterdam and is open after 20 o’clock.
Another interesting club to consider is the Chicago Social Club, which is placed in the center. Here are organized great house, hip hop and techno parties, but this is not a big club, rather it has an intimate atmosphere and one dance floor only. The place comes with a large bar serving cocktails. There is an entrance on Fridays and Saturdays and no entry fee for the rest of the weekdays.
Those who love alternative music should try the independent music club De OCCII. They are known for playing punk and experimental music, hardcore and often techno. The music played is very loud and the live concerts organized there could be quite noisy. The place is an independent event and concert hall, which is run by volunteers. Sometimes there are indie and electronic, as well as dance parties. The prices are just right and the bands performing are great. The music club De OCCII is located on Amstelveenseweg and its working time depends on the event organized.
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Several nice places to eat out while in Amsterdam this month
Eating out in Amsterdam is easy and affordable, since there is a great diversity of restaurants, pubs and bakery shops. I will try to sort out those cozy places that are worth to be checked in the morning or in the afternoon, which tempt with nice and friendly atmosphere, hot drinks and palatable dishes. Most of the nices places to dine out in Amsterdam are located along the Utrechtsestraat. This street starts at Rembrandtplein and ends at Frederiksplein and crosses all the canals in the city. This is a great shopping street and good for those who like good food. The street is full of cafes, bars and restaurants and there one could find a variety of cuisines that are good for any budget.
Now, a good place that should be mentioned by its name is De Bakkerswinkel, which is a lovely bakery, where one could find tasty scones with clotted cream and jam. The choice of sandwiches here is great and all the ingredients are very fresh and tasty. The bread here is also very, very good. And so are the scones that come with cherries and raisins and chocolate. De Bakkerswinkel place is open every day.
This photo of Broodje Bert
Another great place, which is worth to be considered is Broodje Bert, which serves some of the nicest sandwiches in the world. They come with big piece of bread stuffed with grilled lamb meatballs. There is also tomatoes and peppers, lettuce and a lot of sauce. The place also serves omelets and burgers. That place is on Singel Street 321 and works every day.
In case that you need a very good cup of coffee in the morning, then the Coffee Company is the right place for you. There are many cafes of the brand, most with appealing and personal atmosphere. They usually come on two levels. People who come here are locals and tourists, students and elderly people, basically – everyone. Coffee Company cafes are open every day.
The other good place that we will feature here us the Comfort Caffe, which is placed on the eastern side of Amsterdam, which serves delicious food, like for example cheese, ham, bruschetta with mozzarella, or pasta with parmesan cheese. The place is good for lunch and for early dinner, since the kitchen closes at 21h.
Another good place for lunch is Lunchroom De Bruen, which offers tasty sandwiches and soups. The spot is set between the Amstel river and Weesperplein area. The staff there is quite friendly and there is an open-plan kitchen, so you can see how they prepare the food, which is interesting to watch. The food is tasty and the portions are big, while the prices are reasonable. The Lunchroom De Bruen is situated on Sarphatistraat and is open only Monday through Friday, from 8h in the morning until 15h in the afternoon.
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