If you want to explore Amsterdam's oldest, most charming courtyard, you'll have to know where to look. Tucked away in the city's innermost ring and accessible only through through a narrow alley, the Begijnhof is a quiet, peaceful garden surrounded by historic, centuries-old houses, including the oldest house in Amsterdam. It began in the 14th century as a Béguinage - a place for religious women who enjoyed more freedom than traditional nuns - and today maintains much the same character as it did in its heyday. Take a stroll past the many well-preserved canal houses, pausing at the southwestern corner to admire Het Houten Huis (No. 34.). Built in 1420, it's one of only two wooden-front houses in the city, as timber houses were banned in 1521 after a series of terrible fires. Then pay a visit to the Gallery of Civic Guards, a gallery filled with portraits of Amsterdam's wealthiest citizens from the past five centuries. If the weather's nice, have a seat on one of the park benches and try to imagine what life was like in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. It's in moments like these that the city truly reveals itself. The Begijnhof is a short walk from the Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam, a member of Starwood's Luxury Collection.
