The old St. Nicholas Church

In the early 14th century, the first Lord of IJsselstein, Gijsbrecht van Amstel, received permission from the bishop to build a church near his castle. This church – the Oude Nicolaaskerk – was dedicated to Saint Nicholas in 1310. Besides the castle, the Sint Nicolaaskerk was the most important building in the city.

Church tower
No book on architecture will fail to mention the church tower. The Italian architect Allesandro Pasqualini built this tower in 1532 at the behest of Floris van Egmont, the Lord of IJsselstein. Having visited Italy, Van Egmont was deeply impressed by the grandeur he saw there. This is the first and oldest surviving Renaissance building north of the Alps. The Lord immediately took advantage of the structure's potential by having a small additional tower with a separate staircase built on one side. Here, it was possible to hold prisoners on bread and water rations in five ‘dungeons’. To emphasise this function, a stone pillory was added to the corner of the church as well. One remarkable feature is the spire, which was added in 1924 based on a design by the architect Michel de Klerk, a founder of the Amsterdam School. 

Sumptuous tombs and Van Vulpen organ
There are many noteworthy sights inside the church, too, such as the ornately decorated tombs of Gijsbrecht van Amstel and his wife Bertha van Heukelom, and that of Aleida van Culemborg, along with the 23-pipe organ made by Utrecht organ builder Van Vulpen. 

Summer organ concerts
In July and August, free organ concerts are held from 14:30.