One of the symbols of Amsterdam, the Westerkerk was consecrated in 1631 as a Dutch Reformed church and it still tends to its Protestant flock to this day. Its Dutch Renaissance style is unmistakable and its massive tower embellished with the crown of Austrian Emperor Maximilian soars to a height of 85m above the city. The impoverished painter Rembrandt was buried here in 1669, but no one is quite sure exactly where, yet a plaque marks the approximate spot not far from his son Titus’ grave. Anyone familiar with the story of Anne Frank also knows that she often heard the bells from the church in her hidden annex only a short distance away. The tower bell is the largest in the Netherlands and weighs in at an impressive 7,500kg. Although the church is also used as a concert hall, it’s closed to visitors during the winter months. The Westermarkt square outside is a popular meeting place where you can relax on benches that look like lounge chairs, eat some raw herring from one of the food stalls or take a look at its monuments – a statue of Anne Frank and three triangular pink granite slabs dedicated to persecuted gays near and far.