Waalse Kerk, Leiden, Protestant church building in Breestraat, Leiden, Netherlands.
The Waalse Kerk is a Protestant place of worship on Breestraat with a red brick wall and a distinctive bell tower added in 1739. The building displays typical Dutch features from the 1600s and functions as a protected national monument.
The building originally served as a chapel for St. Catherine's hospital and was converted into a Walloon church in 1638. This transformation gave French-speaking Protestants their own place to gather.
The church continues to serve French-speaking Protestants and holds special meaning for this language community in the city. Visitors can experience a place where this minority group finds spiritual and cultural belonging.
The church sits in the city center and is easy to locate near a blue stone marker on the street. Visitors should know that the interior is only open during services, so checking times beforehand makes sense.
The church preserves a historical bell cast by C. Ammeroy in 1605 that still hangs in its original location. This old bell is a rare example of medieval craftsmanship that has been lost in many other churches.
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