Nieuwe Kerk, Haarlem, Przewodnik dla zwiedzających i co robić w okolicy

The Nieuwe Kerk is a Protestant church on the Nieuwe Kerksplein in Haarlem, completed in 1649 to a strict classicist design by Jacob van Campen. It was built for Reformed worship in the Dutch Republic and is regarded as one of the most distinctive churches of its kind. Beside it stands an older tower in the decorative Dutch Renaissance style, which gives the square its unusual character.

The story behind it

After the Reformation, Dutch towns needed churches designed for Protestant worship rather than the Catholic Gothic buildings they had inherited. In Haarlem, the city council wanted to replace the Sint Annakapel, a Gothic chapel that had become run down and too small. It turned to Jacob van Campen, an architect known for his classicist approach, to design the new church.

One thing could not change. The tower, designed by city architect Lieven de Key in the ornamental Dutch Renaissance style, had to remain. Van Campen therefore worked with a tower that was already there, and the result is a pairing of two different architectural tastes: a restrained, ordered church next to a richly decorated tower.

What to look for

• Notice the calm, symmetrical lines of Van Campen's church, which look very different from the Gothic churches common in older Dutch towns.
• Look up at Lieven de Key's tower and its decorative detail, and compare its style with the plainer church it stands beside.
• Stand in the Nieuwe Kerksplein and take in how the strict classicist body and the Renaissance tower sit together in one view.
• Walk around the building to see how it fits into the surrounding streets of the old centre.

Tips for your visit

• From the outside, 15 to 20 minutes is enough to look at the church, the tower and the square.
• Check current opening hours and whether the church is open to visitors or hosting an event before you plan to go in.
• Soft daylight in the morning or late afternoon shows the stonework of the tower well, and the square is usually calmer outside the busiest midday hours.
• The church is in the historic centre of Haarlem, so it combines easily with a wider walk through the old streets.

See it on a quest

The Nieuwe Kerk is one of the places you pass on Writing history in Haarlem, a self-guided walk through the city. You reach the church on foot as one stop of a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. There is no guide and no group to join, and you can start whenever you like. One ticket covers the whole group.