The Grote or Sint-Clemenskerk isn’t your ordinary church—its tower of the Grote measures 86 meters, which can be seen from space as taken by the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers. It showed a clear dot near Steenwijk due to the lighting that shines on the Steenwiekertoorn.
The biggest church in the region
A protestant church, which was before the reformation, it was dedicated to Pope Clement I. The church went through several transformations since 900. It started as a wooden structure, which was then transformed into Romanesque tuff and brick church buildings. Unfortunately, the church was a victim of the Iconoclasm, large-scale destruction of statues of saints and other Catholic objects by Protestants in 1566. The Iconoclasm has destroyed the decorations of the church.
By 1981, the church was fully restored with the vault paintings redone. If you’re a fan of art, the church holds paintings that date back to 1633.
Sint Clemenskerk is one of the spots in the city you shouldn’t miss. It’s a structure that holds plenty of history that will make you feel closer to the town’s culture.
