Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Begijnhof
Away from the bustle of the city, this bewitching sanctuary of elegant houses
around a tranquil green was founded in 1346 for the members of a lay Cath-
olic sisterhood, the Beguines, the last of whom died in 1971. Although none
of the original buildings survive - nor the early design in which the courtyard
was surrounded by water - there is a fascinating example of a 15th-century
wooden house, a lovely church of the same period, and an appealing hidden
chapel. Visitors are asked to respect the privacy of the current residents.
Top 10 Features
1 Engelse Kerk
2 Begijnhof Chapel
3 Het Houten Huis
4 Courtyard with Wall Plaques
5 Mother Superior's House
6 17th- and 18th-Century
Houses
7 Statue of a Beguine
8 The Beguine in the Gutter
9 Wall Plaque on No. 19
0 Spui Entrance
The elegant houses of the
Begijnhof
Trendy Café Esprit
and traditional Café
Hoppe are just round
the corner in Spui (at
Nos 10 and 18
respectively).
Services are held in
Dutch (daily) and
French (Sundays) in
the Roman Catholic
Begijnhof Chapel.
Services in English
are held in the
Protestant Engelse
Kerk (Sundays).
Engelse Kerk
Before the Alteration
(see p21) , the Beguines
worshipped in this pretty
15th-century church
(below) . Confiscated in
1578, it was let in 1607 to
a group of English and
Scottish Presbyterians,
who renamed it.
Het Houten Huis
No. 34, Het Houten
Huis, is the oldest house in
Amsterdam (below) , and
one of only two wood-
fronted houses in the city.
It predates the 1521 ban on
the construction of wooden
houses, introduced to
reduce the risk of fire.
In summer, go to
a lunchtime concert
at the Engelse Kerk.
Pick up an inform-
ation booklet from
Het Houten Huis.
• Spui (entrance on
Gedempte Bejynensloot)
• Map M4
020 623 3565
• (chapel) www.
begijnhofamsterdam.nl
• Open 9am-5pm daily;
Begijnhof Chapel open
1-6:30pm Mon,
9:30am-6:30pm Tue-Fri,
9am-6pm Sat & Sun
Free
Begijnhof Chapel
The city's first
clandestine chapel was
created in 1665, when the
Beguines converted two
ordinary houses into a
little church (see pp20-
21) . The Miracle of
Amsterdam (see p38) is
commemorated here.
22
 
 
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