Amsterdam’s secret gardens

The Dutch capital has a host of beautiful tranquil almshouses with courtyards so you can escape the bustle

One feature of Amsterdam worth searching out is its hofjes, which are courtyards surrounded by almshouses. You get a kind of Tom’s Midnight Garden feeling walking past the typically plain door or gate from the street into these pretty oases of calm.

The first hofjes were founded in the 13th century, but most date from the 17th century. They were an early…