Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church) is one of the first Amsterdam monuments most visitors spot. So it mystifies me that this majestic church, which towers over the newer edifices around it, isn't a more prominent tourist attraction; indeed, its popularity is dwarfed by that of the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Oude Kerk (Old Church) and Westerkerk (Western Church). At 58 meters tall, the Baroque dome toward the rear is one of the most noticeable features of the church, a seamless mix of neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance elements; two shorter towers rise from either side of the church's entrance. Architect Adrianus Bleijs built the cruciform church between 1884 and 1887, at a time when neo-Gothic architecture was favored for Catholic churches; visitors need only look back at P.J.H. Cuyper's Central Station, completed in 1889, for a prime example of the typical neo-Gothic architecture of the day
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