The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is the big domed church with two towers that you see on Prins Hendrikkade as you walk out of Amsterdam Centraal. It was completed in 1887 as the main Catholic church of the old centre, after almost three centuries in which Amsterdam's Catholics had to worship in hidden churches. Its neo-Baroque dome was a deliberate statement that they were back in the open.
The Basilica of Saint Nicholas at a glance
- Where: Prins Hendrikkade 73, opposite Amsterdam Centraal station, between the harbour front and the Oudezijds Kolk canal.
- Built: 1884–1887.
- By: the architect Adrianus Bleijs.
- What it is today: a Catholic parish church, raised to a minor basilica in 2012 and made a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam in 2025.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes inside, a few more for the façade from across the street.
From hidden churches to a basilica
In 1578 Amsterdam switched to the Protestant side in the Dutch Revolt, and the Catholic churches were taken over, including the medieval St Nicholas church that is now the Oude Kerk. For more than two centuries Catholics could only meet in house churches that looked like ordinary homes from the street. The best known, Our Lord in the Attic, was also dedicated to St Nicholas and served the parish until this basilica opened. Catholics were allowed to build public churches again from 1795, and in the 1880s the parish finally built a large new church in full view of the harbour.
Bleijs did not choose the neo-Gothic style that was usual for Dutch Catholic churches of the time. He went for a mix of neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque, with a cross-shaped basilica plan, two west towers and a large octagonal dome over the crossing. The church was consecrated in 1887 and is officially called St Nicolaas binnen de Veste, St Nicholas within the walls. It was restored inside and out in 1999, became a basilica on 8 December 2012, in its 125th year, and in 2025 the Pope made it a co-cathedral, so the bishop now has a seat here as well as in Haarlem.
What to look for
- The façade: a rose window between the two towers, with a relief of Christ and the four Evangelists at its centre, made in 1886.
- St Nicholas in the gable: a statue of the saint by Bart van Hove stands in a niche at the top of the façade.
- The dome: from inside, look up into the octagonal crossing tower and its lantern, which give the church its light and its shape on the skyline.
- The crown above the high altar: the crown of Emperor Maximilian I, the same crown you see on Amsterdam's coat of arms and on many buildings in the city.
- The Sauer organ of 1889 above the main entrance, beneath the rose window, and the two side chapels dedicated to Mary and Joseph.
Amsterdam's own saint
Saint Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra, is the patron saint of Amsterdam and of sailors, which made him the obvious choice for a church facing the old harbour. He is also the figure behind the Dutch Sinterklaas. In December 2021 the basilica received a relic of the saint from Egmond Abbey, said to be a fragment of a rib, which had been kept at the abbey since the 11th century.
Tips for your visit
- Opening times are limited and change around services, so check the parish website before you go. Mass takes priority over sightseeing.
- For the best photo of the towers and dome, cross to the station side of Prins Hendrikkade, or look back from the water near the Schreierstoren.
- Combine it with Our Lord in the Attic: seeing the hidden church first makes the size of the basilica much more striking.
Nearby
- Our Lord in the Attic (Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder): the 17th-century hidden church in the roof of a canal house, now a museum, a few minutes' walk away on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal.
- Schreierstoren: a round 15th-century tower from the old city wall on the harbour front, where ships once set sail.
- Amsterdam Centraal: the 1889 station by Pierre Cuypers, built on artificial islands in the IJ, right across the road.
- Zeedijk: one of the oldest streets in the city, running into Amsterdam's Chinatown and the Buddhist He Hua Temple.
See Amsterdam with World City Trail
Our Amsterdam scavenger hunt turns the old centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 52 minutes of walking, and includes places such as Amsterdam Centraal, the Royal Palace and the Westerkerk.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Amsterdam.
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Facts checked in October 2026.