Hooglandse Kerk

A Gothic hall church at the heart of Leiden, begun in 1377 as the Catholic Sint-Pancraskerk and transferred to the Reformed congregation after 1572. The broad three-aisled interior with whitewashed piers is typical of Dutch Gothic: not the dark mystery of French cathedrals but luminous clarity beneath high timber vaults. Renaissance tomb monuments stand against the piers and in the choir, including that of Pieter Adriaensz. van der Werff, mayor during the Spanish siege of Leiden in 1574. The church is now a concert venue (especially around the famous Maarschalkerweerd organ) and an occasional house of worship; the acoustics make it one of the city's most sought-after concert spaces.