Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Reformed Church in Nieuw-Lekkerland is the biggest and oldest church in the town. It was built in 1848, but historians are sure that there has been another church before. The architect of the current church was D. Slingerland.

Nice small church with roof turret situated on a hill. Year of construction: 1933; Architectural style: Delft School; Architect: G. Feenstra (1890-1985) .

Extremely important modern church from 1960, designed by HC van de Leur. Round church hall with large windows on the south side. The roof is supported by concrete trusses that are centered in a skylight above the place of the celebration altar. On the east and north side of the round church hall is a lower extension, with open contact to the church hall: Intended to allow the faithful to take a seat in the light part of the church (at the front) but also to be able to offer sufficient seating when it is very busy. Entrance on the east side, with a day chapel and baptismal font. The baptismal font has its own skylight. Rectory in the same style by the same architect. Freestanding tower on the southwest side of the church, with a bell.

Historic village church with tower. Tower 1455. Destroyed by war in 1944, rebuilt in 1951. (During this restoration the St. Anna chapel served as an emergency parish church).

Sober interbellum church with tower with (copper) green spire. Built as Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Nativity. With preservation of high older tower from 1856-1857, architect Th. Molkenboer. Extension of nave 1874-'75, architect EJ Margry. After partial collapse rebuilt in 1932 by JA and L. van der Laan. The older tower was sheathed and raised to its current situation.

The Roman Catholic Church "Maria Geboorte" in Dronrijp was built in 1839, designed by architect A. van der Moer in the Water Board style; the contractor was PJ de Wal from Leeuwarden.

This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

Nave and slightly older narrower choir with three-sided closure, late Gothic, XV, restored in 1888, restored in 1952 after severe war damage. Later church perpendicular to the original building. Carved corbel and keystones in the choir. The inventory includes: statue of the Madonna, XIV; statue of Christ showing his wounds, XVd; Calvary group, XVd-XVIa, and some other statues. Mechanical tower clock, equipped with electric winding. This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

Damaged by war 1944, restored. Tower destroyed by war, rebuilt 1954.

After the Reformation, Catholicism still had many followers in West Friesland. Catholicism also appeared to be very much alive in the new Zijpe polder, which was drained in 1597, although Protestantism was the official religion. The Catholics went to church in a clandestine church on the Ruigeweg, not far from the small village of Burgerbrug. In 1863, this church building burned down and it was decided to build a new, "real" church on the Grote Sloot.