Portuguese Synagogue

Most European capitals were hardly an ideal place for Jews to call home in medieval times, but no city was more tolerant of this ethnic group than Amsterdam in the 17th-century. As the city prospered, its population grew by leaps and bounds and among its many new arrivals were Jews from around the continent looking for a better life. They completed work on this synagogue in 1675 and since then it has served as a centre for Jewish life in Amsterdam housing also offices, archives, ritual baths and a rabbinate. The synagogue was completely restored in 2011 and now its treasure rooms which house unique ceremonial objects are open to the public as well as Ets Haim, the oldest functioning Jewish library in the world dating to 1616. The ticket price includes admission to the Jewish Historical Museum nearby.