St. Nicholas Church (Sint-Nicolaaskerk)

The Grote Kerk of Edam, officially the Sint-Nicolaaskerk, is the large church of this old cheese town in North Holland, and it is one of the best known medieval churches in the region. It is a hall church, a form in which the nave and aisles are of equal height, so the interior feels spacious and light. The building was begun in the first half of the fifteenth century and is described as the largest three-aisled church of its kind in Western Europe, a claim that tells you how ambitious the people of this prosperous little port were. It is a national monument and is counted among the most beautiful churches in the Netherlands.

The interior is the main attraction. Thirty-two stained-glass windows fill the church with coloured light, and many of them are among the finest in the country, with scenes and portraits made in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when Edam was at its richest. The organ, built in the seventeenth century and dated 1663, is valued by experts for its historical interest and sound, and organ concerts are held in the church. A former Latin school, the librije, is attached to the building and gives an insight into the history of education in the town. The church was stripped of its Catholic furnishings after the Reformation, so the interior is plain apart from the windows, but the proportions and the wooden vaulting are impressive.

The church is used for services and also as a cultural meeting place. Guides lead tours every day, with extra themed visits, and there is a coffee corner, a second-hand bookshop and a gift shop on site. Opening hours are limited, for example in the afternoons, so check before you go. Donations are welcome toward the costs of upkeep.

Edam itself is a pleasant small town with canals, narrow bridges and old gabled houses. It is world famous for Edam cheese, the round, mild cheese with a red wax coating that was once exported across the globe, and in the summer the Edam Cheese Market is held in the town. The Edamsche Kaasmakerij shows how cheese is made, the Edam windmills dot the surrounding polders, the harbour is attractive, and the Stroomlijnboot Museum is a small museum for those interested in boats. Volendam and Marken are only a short bus ride away.

The church suits visitors interested in architecture, stained glass and music, and it fits into a walk around the old centre. Allow forty-five minutes.