Begijnhofkapel

This is a quiet cove in the heart of central bus Amsterdam, one moment you are the noise and the next moment it is almost silent, the chapel is a beautifull decorate space for prayer and remembrance, here are photo's of the inside Roy

The second you walk through the entrance way into the courtyard you feel like you’ve escaped the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam Centrum. It’s a peaceful spot to enjoy and take a moment to appreciate some history (or religion - whatever your jam is). ; )

Quick easy stop if you're close. You have to be quite during your visit.

Begijnhofkapel (Chapel) is a Catholic chapel within the courtyard grounds of Begijnhof in Central Amsterdam. This is a small but quaint 17th-century chapel worth a few minutes to enjoy when spending time at Begijnhof. This chapel remains open for mediation and worship with regular Sunday services. During our visit in December, Begijnhofkapel was decorated for the upcoming Christmas holiday. This was nice to see. You will find the entrance to the chapel just across from the Reformed English Church building. From the outside, it appears to be nothing more than one of the house buildings of Begijnhof. However, once inside, it is clear you are within a house of worship. There is a fine altar and altar painting, marbled columns and interesting stained-glass windows. Do take note of the old fresco scene that stretches the length of the wall on the right hand side of the church interior. The mural is quite faded in colour and they keep the lights low in effort to help preserve the image. Judging from its condition, I would speculate that that the mural dates back to the early days of the church. You can conveniently see Begijnhofkapel in 10-15 minutes as part of your visit to Begijnhof.

This church is also known as the hidden church, the place of worship for the Catholic women who created a community in Begijnhof.

Great quick stop. Quiet and serene.

An oasis of calm of tranquility. A fascinating part of Amsterdam’s history.

Amazing place to get insight about how the city started.

There is a large, fairly obvious church located on the grounds of the Begijnhof, and then there is the Begijnhofkapel, a hidden church located right across from it. The large church used to be the church of the Catholic Beguines, the religious women that lived in the houses surrounding the grounds, but the Catholic religion lost out to Protestantism, and the church became the English Reformed Church. The Protestant leaders allowed the Beguines to build a new church on the condition that it not look like a church, so they decided to join two houses together, and today it is known as the hidden church. Obviously, it does not have the magnificence of a cathedral, but it is still a very pretty and charming little church. The 3 altars, woodwork, and artwork make it appear grander than it is. People today still use it to worship, so respect is still expected upon entering. This was a nice little surprise to discover in the heart of Amsterdam. 3/2020

Beautiful place, lovely courtyard with a lots of history behind it. The location started in the mid 1300, where women just wanted celibacy, they did not want to be nuns and belong to a specific religion, just wanted to be without a partner and that is were they found refuge. Very interesting concept from my perspective, but apparently it worked for centuries, in a city that offered everything.

Beginhof is such a beautiful community that holds so many stories of Amsterdam, the middle ages, Catholic religion and reform of the Protestants. It's one my favorite places to visit in Amsterdam. I always enjoy visiting this serene community. Begijnhof is one of the most impressive historic communities in the Netherlands. I believe if those walls could talk, then it would tell us so many fascinating stories about when the history of Amsterdam came under Calvinist rule. The characteristics of this religious community were on the lines of a private convent for women and an example of the Catholic religion existence. However, the only contrast is that these women had a bit more freedom outside of the church. The infrastructure of the buildings depicts a private courtyard with Amsterdam style town-homes and gable stones depicting the old saints. Also, here is a great tip to keep in mind if you are looking for a place to attend service or get hitched in a chapel, then this location is the perfect site as well. It's now used by the English church for service, personal talks, or to reserve a wedding.

I am a believer. Have been since teens. First heard this term from Bryson: he visited the Béguinage in Bruges, which is also the same word as this. A "beguine house" in which to live, during the late 1300's, these faithful women not desiring a convent per se. Coming here and observing the hushed gardens and various sanctuaries of the former order which never became an official nunnery, I was immediately reminded of St Pierre in the 18th, Paris. Having stayed in Paris before flying to AMS, it too was an abbey run entirely by women during the 12th c. This here was active quite a bit later in history. Nonetheless, one comes here to walk through, enoying the communion with God or just ducking out of the busy city streets to gather one's thoughts. Both services and concerts go on here. English Reformed church, one side, historic traditional chapel the other. I went to pray for a bit in the historic side church. Very nice private gardens kept by private residents. One is not allowed to walk all the paths of the open courtyard there. But photos capture the essence here, which is serene.

As a native, take it from me when I say that this place is a little slice of heaven. By far this is my most favorite place in Amsterdam, every time I visit the city I have to come here! What makes this place so special? Well, up until recently (I blame the Internet, yet I'm reviewing this sanctuary sending more people in its direction) this court was fairly unknown. Located off of several busy downtown streets, it's existence almost feels like a secret. Once you find the seemingly unassuming doors and you go through them, you leave behind the busy madness of the big city and enter peace and quiet. I don't know how, but the place seems to block out all the noise from outside.. as if this truly is a sanctuary, a little world of its own. The architecture of the buildings here is amazing, which I don't say lightly. I'm Dutch so it's all pretty normal to me, but here everything is so condensed that it's just overwhelmingly beautiful. There are two churches/chapels within the walls, I've always thought this would make the ideal setting for a wedding. Unbelievably so, these are actual homes of some very lucky people. People seriously live here, so be mindful of their privacy and respect the court and it's silence. My mom who lived in Amsterdam for the majority of her life used to take me here, it's one of the reasons the place means a lot to me. We would walk around and enjoy the serenity, then go inside the chapel to burn a candle for my grandparents. If you visit here, you're guaranteed to leave with a special memory of Amsterdam/the Netherlands. Trust me.

Nice and quite place in center of Amsterdam. It surrounds by old houses and you can find here one of the oldest house in Amsterdam. This is black wooden house was constructed in 1572. Amsterdam history museum is near by this place also.

One of the best Amsterdam's historical hidden gems, the Bejinhof is a closed courtyard cut off from all the noise and rushed life of the city. Although it's located in the Spui - a very busy area of the city - the place has a sanctified atmosphere. The Bejinhof (Béguinage) was built as a sanctuary and living place for Catholic sisters (Begijntjes or Beguines) who lived like nuns - although they never took oficial vows - and dates from the 14th century. The houses in the courtyard have gone under a lot of renovation since then, and some of them even got demolished and re-built. A big part of the yard and its chapel were destroyed by the great Amsterdam fires in the 1400's due to the fact that many of these structures were built with wood, but the houses and the chapel were restored with bricks instead. In the small yard you can admire the architecture of the beautiful houses that overlook a lovely green garden with a couple statues. You can also check out Amsterdam's oldest surviving house, Het Houten Huis. In the south part of the yard is the English Church (Engelse Kerk) that still has it's original medieval tower, so remember to look up to see it! Although the last beguine - Sister Antonia - died in 1971, the place is still occupied by single women. You are expected to be respectful, very quiet and to not create any commotion while you are visiting the yard and the chapel. Also, mind the bars that say "for residents" in the yard.

I stopped in for another look around. The Begijnhof is one of the places I like to stop in for a looksee each visit to Amsterdam. It's very peaceful and tranquil right in the middle of bustling Amsterdam. I found the gable stones near one of the entrances really interesting. I wish I spoke Dutch and understood the interpretation of the stones. Have a looksee (there's about eight of them in the southern corner of the begijnhof). I liked the one of the girl showing some boobie and the other with some people in an oven!

A lot of tourists makes it not so calm and peaceful but still quiet. Take your time. It is a nice break from the buzy streets. It is a bit tricky to find behind the Amsterdam Museum. All my maps showed different positions. They close the area to the public at 5pm - respect that.

A little oasis of serenity in a bustling city, this is a quiet courtyard lined with picturesque houses and has a touching history. The Beginhof was once a refuge for Beguines, pious women. Today, the courtyard is enclosed by subsidized housing for elderly women. As an American, I was especially touched to see the Engelese Kerk, built in 1420. A refuge for those suffering from religious persecution in England, it is the site where the Pilgrims prayed before sailing on the Mayflower for religious freedom in America. Do check out the poignant stained glass depiction of this.

Gem of a spot hidden in the middle of Amsterdam - it was like walking into an Oasis and I loved the quiet and the birdsong and just the general calm ambience that pervaded the gardens. We found about this because of the free Amsterdam walking tour and its location is great - the gardens are located close to the Amsterdam Museum.

This is a nice peaceful escape from the hubbub and noise that usually comes with touristy place. Not that this place isn't touristy--it is, but everyone at least feels obligated to be silent which is nice. It's a beautiful courtyard and the fact that tourists are even allowed into this place is wonderful. There are two hidden churches in here--one you would never expect. It also has the oldest building in Amsterdam--I believe it's from the 1500s or so and still made from wood which is insane. tldr; great place to see for some peaceful tourism

Really worth a visit, this is a beautiful, tranquil piece of peaceful green in an otherwise quite hectic and brown city. Please remember that this is home for many people. There is a very polite notice asking that noise be kept to a minimum, that no photos be taken and no tour groups enter. Unfortunately most people there ignored these requests. I wouldn't blame the residents for refusing entry to tourists in the future.

Beautiful. That does not even describe how nice it is here. Pilgrims came here on the Mayflower before going to future-America because of how tolerant Amsterdam/The Netherlands is and this area specifically. Really nice place to come and relax on a nice, hot day. Remember to be quiet though as people do live and worship there!

I would like to leave a full review but I can't. We arrived and looked at the signs, and seeing no opening or closing hours posted anywhere, ventured inside. Within moments we were accosted by a rather rude "security guard" who told us to "get out immediately, we are closed," as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Other visitors had come in just before us and more just after, but none were treated like we were. Perhaps it was the sight of my elderly mother that provoked such treatment at a "Christian" place.

Benijnhof is a cute coutyard in Amsterdam featuring the oldest house in the city. We stopped by on account of a Rick Steves recommendation. While I think he overrated this place I do think it's worth knowing about.

Tucked away in a little corner in central Amsterdam, the Begijnhof stands out from the rest of the city center, where greenscapes are hard to come by. I found it to be really peaceful and beautiful, and loved the history of seeing the oldest wooden house still in Amsterdam (only one of two!). Not too much to actually see or do here, but it's a nice place to pop in and see during your trip to Amsterdam.