Begijnhof

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Lonely Planet review

This enclosed former convent dates from the early 14th century. It's a surreal oasis of peace, with tiny houses and postage-stamp gardens around a well-kept courtyard.

The Beguines were a Catholic order of unmarried or widowed women who cared for the elderly and lived a religious life without taking monastic vows. The last true Beguines died in the 1970s.

Contained within the hof is the charming Begijnhof Kapel, a 'clandestine' chapel where the Beguines were forced to worship after their Gothic church was taken away by the Calvinists. Go through the dog-leg entrance to find marble columns, wooden pews, paintings and stained-glass windows commemorating the Miracle of Amsterdam.

The other church in the Begijnhof is known as the Engelse Kerk (English Church), built around 1392. It was eventually rented out to the local community of English and Scottish Presbyterian refugees - the Pilgrim Fathers worshipped here - and still serves as the city's Presbyterian church.

Also note the house at No 34; it dates from around 1425, making it the oldest preserved wooden house in the country.