Westerkerk

The Westerkerk or St. Gomaruskerk is considered one of the 100 most beautiful national monuments in the Netherlands and stands in the historic heart of Enkhuizen. Construction began around 1470 and would take nearly fifty years.

The Westerkerk is a three-aisled hall church. Upon entering the church, its overwhelming size is striking: 30 meters wide, 70 meters long, and 17 meters high internally. The church was built in three phases, proceeding from east to west. The original building plan must have included a tower at the western end of the nave. That tower could not be realized; the funds ran out. However, a freestanding wooden bell tower was erected to the east of the church. This bell tower still stands today.

Showpieces

Showpieces of ‘de Wester’ are the famous choir screen from 1542, the pulpit, and the organ from 1549. The latter is considered one of the oldest and most beautiful organ cases in the Netherlands. The floor of the church is still entirely covered with stone gravestones. The graves are all numbered; there are more than 1,500 of them. Because burials took place in three layers, there was room in the church for a maximum of 4,500 burials.

Librije

If you take the spiral staircase up in the South Portal, you will feel transported 400 years back in time. Here you will find the Librije of Enkhuizen. It is the only seventeenth-century city library in the Netherlands that has been preserved in its original location.

The church was built as a Catholic house of worship for the farmers, dedicated to Saint Gommarus. In 1573, Enkhuizen opted for the Reformation and the church became Reformed. Today, it is an important cultural and social center, and regularly hosts concerts, receptions, weddings, funerals, meetings, exhibitions, symposia, and markets.

Do you want to visit the Westerkerk?

View the opening hours here.