Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk

Hague, Netherlands

The Groote Kerk of St. James (15th and 16th centuries) has a fine vaulted interior, and contains some old stained glass, a carved wooden pulpit (1550), a large organ and interesting sepulchral monuments, and some escutcheons of the knights of the Golden Fleece, placed here after the chapter of 1456.

It is remarkable for its fine tower and chime of bells, and contains the cenotaph monument of Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, designed by Cornelis Moninckx and sculpted by Bartholomeus Eggers in 1667, and the renaissance tomb of Gerrit van Assendelft (1487 - 1558).

The church's six-sided tower is one of the tallest in the Netherlands. There are 34 panels with shields and names of knights of the golden fleece. The mechanical clock has 15 bells by M. de Haze in 1686, one by Jasper and Jan Moer from 1541, one from H. Van Trier from 1570, one by Coenraat Wegewaert from 1647, and one from C. Fremy from 1692 and 31 modern bells. In the church tower there is an automatic carillon by Libertus van den Burgh, from 1689.

The church endured a fire in 1539, and the stained glass windows were repaired by leading glass artists, including the brothers Dirk and Wouter Crabeth of Gouda. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who visited the church after the fire, sponsored two windows by the Crabeth's that due to their royal origin are the only two windows that have survived up to the present day. Under one of these windows lies a commemorative stone from 1857 for Constantijn and Christiaan Huygens, who were buried in unmarked graves in the choir of the church.

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Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Religious sites in Netherlands

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Samantha Erin (8 months ago)
We visited Grote Kerk on a whim and we're glad we did. No wait times and no issues getting tickets. The church was interesting to see. It was obvious there was a large event the day before as the floor was wet and sticky and there were empty plastic cups. The tower tour was great! Our guide, Rudolph, was very knowledgable and kind. Be ready to walk up (and back down!) 300 narrow steps! Very cool views once you get to the top.
Julia Murphy (9 months ago)
I had a lovely tour of the tower this afternoon. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the tower. It was great to see the bells up close and hear them ring. An overall wonderful experience, with great views of the city!
Jan-Wouter Arendsen (12 months ago)
Was here for the whiskey festival and we had a grand old time. Gorgeous and well kept interior, very accessible and surprisingly warm for such a large building on a cold and dreary day in late fall. Definitely worth a visit with or without whiskey.
Atul Thakrar (12 months ago)
A culturally and historically beautiful venue to attend the Expat trade show last weekend. Very high ceilings and plenty of open spaces that facilitated the booths aswell as seminars. A well organized and timely information to help expats gain valuable insights. I was particularly intrigued by a seminar on tenants rights against landlords in Netherlands. Well worth the Saturday to walk around and meet various service providers - extend networks under one roof
Elena Vakhtinskaya (15 months ago)
We climbed the church tower with two kids (5 &7) and enjoyed it a lot! It is a separate tour, with 15 spots only. It runs twice a day - book in advance, the ticket includes an excursion. Our guide Theo was very charismatic, wr have learnt a lot about tower history and a weird metal roof it once had (see bw pic):) Great panoram of the Hague! Next year (2024) church celebrates its 600 birthday ? do not miss it!
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