Scaffolding finally dismantled at Amsterdam’s Westertoren church tower

After nearly two years of restorations, most of the scaffolding around Amsterdam’s Westertoren has been dismantled. The city’s highest church tower is again visible in all its glory.

The renovation started in January 2023 - the first thorough restoration of the Westertoren since 2001. The work is not yet fully completed, and part of the steel scaffolding is still in place. The city hopes to have the restorations completed in January 2025.

The biggest job was the painting and repairing of the natural stone, according to AT5. The previously plastic pearls on the top of the 17th-century tower have been replaced by glass. And the bells have been restored. They’ll soon ring every hour again.

The most visible change is that the clock's dial is now painted round, and new LED lights were installed so that the time can be read from far away.

The city expects that this restoration should cover the tower's maintenance for the next 20 years.

Timelapse of the scaffolding going up around the Westertoren