1- DOM TOREN (Utrecht) – 112.32 meters (369 feet)

When it was completed in 1382, the DOM Toren was attached to the DOM Church. In 1674 a storm destroyed the nave connecting the tower to the rest of the church. It was never rebuilt. Today the tower stands by itself on the opposite side of Domplein (the square that has since been created) from the church.

The tower exterior has been undergoing an extensive 5-year restoration that started in 2019 and is due to be completed later this year. The DOM Toren is also the oldest of the 10 tallest churches in Netherlands.

2- NIEUWE KERK (Delft) – 108.8 meters (357 feet)

The ‘New Church‘ in Delft is actually quite old but is so named because it is the younger of the two Gothic period churches in the city. Construction on the tower began in 1396 and was completed in 1496.

In 1536 it was destroyed in a fire that ravaged most of the city. It was set ablaze again by lightning in the 1800’s which required a new spire to be placed in 1872 (designed by Pierre Cuypers). It is the one seen today.

3- ONZE LIEVE VROUWETOREN (Amersfoort) – 98.0 meters (322 feet)

The Church and Tower of Our Lady were completed around 1470. The church was destroyed in a gunpowder explosion in 1787. Fortunately the tower remained standing. Paving stones on the Lieve Vrouwekerkhof (the square now in front of the tower) outline where the former church building stood.

4- SINT VITUSKERK (Hilversum) – 98.0 meters (322 feet)

The Saint Vitus church and tower were completed in 1892, making it the youngest of the 10 tallest churches in Netherlands. The tower is topped by a 9-meter tall cross weighing 750kgs. During a severe storm in 1914, the base of the fixture was damaged and the cross became twisted. It was removed, repaired and then re-installed in 1915.

Nearly a century later (2007) another windstorm again damaged the cross, forcing it to be removed and repaired all over. This time the cross was also reinforced in its weakest design points. A year later two cranes hoisted the restored cross fixture to the top of the tower.

5- GROTE KERK (Breda) – 97.0 meters (318 feet)

Breda’s Grote Kerk tower was constructed between 1468-1513. The spire was replaced in 1702 following damage from a lightning strike in 1694. 150 years later the first major restoration of the tower began which took 30 years to complete, finishing in 1875. A second restoration was needed to repair damage incurred during WWII. It took place over 22 years from 1946-1968.

6- MARTINIKERK (Groningen) – 96.9 meters (318 feet)

Except for the spire, the Groningen Martinikerk (Church of St Martin) tower seen today dates back to the mid 1500’s. The first spire was set afire by Protestants following the retreat of the Spanish army in 1577. It was replaced with a new spire in 1627. The horse-shaped weathervane at the top was added nearly two centuries later in 1822.

7T- MARTINIKERK (Doesburg) – 94.0 meters (309 feet)

Oddly enough, a different Martinikerk tower ranks just behind Groningen’s in a tie as the 7th tallest church tower in Netherlands. The Doesburg Martinikerk tower was originally completed in 1532 but has been damaged and restored several times over the years. Fires from lightning strikes occurred in 1548 and 1717. Another fire was deliberately set by King Louis XIV’s army in 1672. In 1945 retreating German soldiers bombed the church and tower. Once again it was restored.

7T- ST JACOBUS DE MEERDERE KERK (The Hague) – 94.0 meters (309 feet)

The St James the Greater church was built between 1875-1878 on Parkstraat near Noordeinde Palace to a design by architect Pierre Cuypers. The square tower in front has a hexagon-shaped spire and reaches a total height of 94.0 meters. This makes it the tallest church tower in The Hague even though the city’s Grote Kerk tower seems visually taller.

9- ST EUSEBIUS KERK (Arnhem) – 92.9 meters (305 feet)

The Saint Eusebius Church dates to the mid 1400’s. Unfortunately most of the church and tower were destroyed during the Battle of Arnhem in WWII and were originally considered for demolition. Instead both were reconstructed between 1947-1964.

Nowadays the St Eusebius tower is the most modern of the tallest churches in Netherlands with glass cabins attached to 3 sides, allowing visitors to step out of the tower hundreds of feet above the ground to take in the amazing views of Arnhem and the surrounding countryside.

10- GROTE KERK (The Hague) – 92.6 meters (303 feet)

The Hague Tower attached to the Grote Kerk celebrates it 600th birthday in 2024. First built between 1420-1424, the tower was destroyed by a fire from a lightning strike 115 years later (1539). The tower was rebuilt in 3 years and has remained the centerpiece of the city’s old town ever since.

In 1861 a new cast-iron spire was added to the top (left in image) but it proved too be too heavy and started to cause cracks. In 1957 the cast iron spire was replaced with the original copper-covered spire which had been enlarged and restored. The gold-plated ‘ooievaar‘ (stork) weather vane at the top is a symbol of The Hague.