Begijnhof
The Begijnhof is one of Amsterdam’s oldest hofjes, a tucked-away court that centers a cluster of historic houses and two churches—the Catholic Miracle Church and the English Reformed Church. It began as a béguinage, a courtyard-style community for beguines who lived there with vows of chastity but could leave to marry, giving the place a rare blend of religious life and everyday family life. Founded in the Middle Ages, it sits within the Singel, Amsterdam’s innermost canal, and is notable for lying at medieval street level—about a meter below the surrounding city center. The Begijnhof is enclosed by water on several sides in its early configuration, with the Begijnensteeg as the original entrance bridge across the Begijnensloot, a water-bound setting now softened by later changes; the Spui entrance only dates from the 19th century. …
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