At 123 metres, Sint Janskerk is the longest church in the Netherlands. The building itself is handsome Gothic, but the real reason to visit is the collection of 70 stained-glass windows, dating from 1555 to the 20th century. The 16th-century windows are the most remarkable: large, narrative panels paid for by Dutch cities, noblemen, and Spanish royalty, depicting biblical stories and historical events with an attention to contemporary clothing and architecture that makes them an accidental record of 16th-century Dutch life. The Gouda windows are considered among the finest in Northern Europe. Allow at least an hour. There is a small entrance fee.
Sint Janskerk
The longest church in the Netherlands, with 70 historic stained-glass windows
A story
The church burned down three times — in 1361, 1438, and 1552 — and was rebuilt each time, longer and higher. The stained-glass windows were added over 150 years from 1555 onwards, and their subjects are surprisingly secular: one shows the relief of Leiden in 1574 (paid for by the city of Leiden), another depicts King Philip II of Spain presenting a window while simultaneously persecuting the Dutch. The windows survived the Reformation and the wars because the local civic authorities, not the church, owned them.