Courtyards of Amsterdam: a self-guided walking tour.
Amsterdam has many “secret” courtyards (hofjies) spread throughout the city, sometimes even in the most busy commercial areas. Those places can be a pocket of peace and beauty, and although the entrance is not always obvious, they make for a great walking tour if you want get to get a real feel of what it means to live in this 13th century capital. Beware - they are meant to be visited as individuals or couples, never as groups! Bellow you will find the addresses and hours (when available) to visit those gezellig little oasis.
Suyckerhofje
Lindengracht 149, 1015 KE Amsterdam
Open from Monday to Thursday (9am-5pm)
Built in 1670, the Suyckerhoffhofje was founded by Pieter Janszoon Suyckerhoff, who dedicated his estate to housing elderly Protestant widows and daughters of good character. Originally 19 homes, it now has 15, each with modern facilities.
Hofje van Brienen
Prinsengracht 89-133, 1015 DA Amsterdam
Opens Monday - Saturday (6am-8pm), Sunday closed
Near the popular Zonshofje, the Hofje van Brienen is one of Jordaan’s most stunning courtyards. Built in 1797 by merchant Arnaut van Brienen, it once housed twenty couples and six men, with upper floors rented as grain lofts. Now open to visitors, it features manicured box trees and sits near the 17th-century Noorderkerk.
Karthuizerhofje
Karthuizerstraat (between numbers 89-171)
Open: daily 10am - 8pm
Hidden on a quiet side street, the Karthuizerhofje is one of Amsterdam’s larger public hofjes. Free to visit, it features lush plants, a fountain, and inviting benches. Many buildings were designed by 17th-century architect Daniël Stalpaert, known for the Royal Palace and Oosterkerk. Once, this courtyard housed a Carthusian monastery.
Claes Claesz. Anslohofje
Karthuizerstraat (between numbers 89-171)
Open: daily 10am - 8pm
This courtyard combines two: the Zwaardvegershofje and Claes Claesz. Anslo’s courtyard, one of Amsterdam’s oldest. Restored in the 1960s, many buildings appear historic but are not. Mennonite cloth merchant Claes Claeszoon Anslo, originally from Norway, built the original courtyard in 1616, offering free shelter to impoverished elderly in his garden on Egelantiersstraat—a legacy that continued after his death.
St. Andrieshofje
Egelantiersgracht 105-141
Open: daily from 10am - 5pm
St. Andrieshofje, founded in 1614, is one of Amsterdam’s oldest courtyards. A blue-tiled hallway leads to a courtyard with an 18th-century water pump. Once 36 houses for 66 residents, each now houses one person. The facade bears a 17th-century gable stone with Christ and the words “Peace be with you.”
Begijnhof
Begijnhof 1, 1012 WS Amsterdam
Open: daily 10am - 6pm
Amsterdam’s most famous hofje is the Begijnhof, a 14th-century beguinage. Once a hidden gem, it now draws more visitors but remains rich in history (most of it you can learn there by reading the signs), featuring historic almshouses, an English Reformed Church, and the Catholic Houten Huys.
Grill's Hofje
Eerste Weteringdwarsstraat 19-35
Open: daily 7am - 7pm
This courtyard features an old lantern and an 18th-century clock. In the regents' room, above the marble chimney, are the names of its benefactors, Anthonie and Elizabeth Grill, who married on October 20, 1693.
Looijershofje
Nieuwe Looiersstraat 20-40
Open: daily 7am-7pm
Founded in 1828 by Jonkvrouwe Anna Maria Elisabeth Elias, this courtyard housed 20 self-sufficient women over 50. Residents received small allowances, including butter, groceries, and peat. On its 25th anniversary, they composed a hymn in her honor.