Our Lord in the Attic

In an unassuming canal house, in the old section of town, there is a secret. You have to know to look for it, but it is remarkable!

It looks like it could be any other well-preserved historic house within the grachten gordel.

But when you step inside this house and step back through time, you realise that it’s going to be a little bit different.

As you reach the attic you step into a hidden church which encompasses the attics of three houses!

Built during the Reformation when the Catholics weren’t allowed to practice their faith in public, this amazing space, known as Our Lord in the Attic, seated up to 150.

The authorities did know it was there, but turned a blind eye.

It has only recently all been restored back to its former glory, and there are many places where pains have been taken to show you what it would have looked like throughout its history.

What was truly remarkable for me was being shown through the rabbit warren of all three buildings by the audio tour. It was conducted by a small device which you held up to your ear for information.

This enabled you to gather lots of information without disrupting the quiet sanctity of the space, or others who might have been utilising the area.

All three houses were set up in a way to give remarkable insight as to not only the living conditions at the time, but also what it must have been like to have to hide your faith away and keep it a secret.

It’s quite disconcerting when you’re within, to look out and realise that several hundred years seem to add themselves into the flow of time, just outside the glass you’re staring through …

This is a beautiful museum and church, well worth searching out for a visit.