Begijnhof

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Begijnhof

Just a few steps from the lively Spui square you can find a haven of peace and tranquility with its own name: Begijnhof. It is a set of elegant houses founded in 1346 to house a lay Catholic female brotherhood: the beguines.

The oldest house in Amsterdam

At number 34 of this beautiful neighborhood you can see the oldest house in Amsterdam, dates from the beginning of the 16th century and is one of the only two houses left in the city with a wooden facade.

Wooden houses were banned in Amsterdam in 1521 because of their ease to catch fire.

Engelse Kerk

Just in front of their houses, the beguines came to the Engelse Kerk, a church dating from the fifteenth century. After the Reformation this church was confiscated and in 1665 they were forced to join two houses to build the Chapel of Begijnhof.

The Begijnhof Chapel became the city's first clandestine church.

To get to know Amsterdam it is necessary to visit some of its neighborhoods and more representative areas. Among these areas it is convenient to visit Spui square and make a brief stop at Begijnhof.

It is worth seeing the oldest house in Amsterdam and visiting the clandestine church which, from the outside, appear to be two normal houses.