Weekend in Amsterdam

Seven floors of free public space with a rooftop terrace offering a solid view of the city skyline and harbour. Free wifi, clean toilets, and a café.

Tip: Take the lift to the 7th floor roof terrace for the best free view of Amsterdam's eastern docklands. Open to everyone, no library card needed.

A secluded 14th-century courtyard hidden behind a door on Spuiplein. It's one of the oldest hofjes in the city, with preserved houses and a wooden secret chapel. Respect residents'

Tip: Go early (before 10am) to avoid crowds. The English Reformed Church inside opens at 11am for a quick look.

A hidden 14th-century courtyard of almshouses, one of Amsterdam's oldest residential areas. Still inhabited, with a secret English Reformed church.

Tip: Silence is requested—no loud talking or photos of residents. Entry via the gate on Spui, not the church side.

Amsterdam's main public library, with a stunning modern building, free Wi-Fi, and a seventh-floor café with panoramic canal views. Free to enter and explore.

Tip: Take the lift to the top floor café—coffee is cheap (€1.50) and the terrace overlooks the IJ river, a great free alternative to expensive rooftop bars.

A quiet, enclosed courtyard of 14th-century almshouses hidden in the city centre. The gabled houses surround a manicured garden, and there's a small English church and a hidden Catholic chapel inside.

Tip: Enter through the arch on Spui—be respectful, as people still live here. No loud groups or bicycles allowed. Visit the chapel's wooden ship models hanging from the ceiling.

A quiet 14th-century courtyard hidden behind a door in the Spui. Historic almshouses and a wooden house from 1475.

Tip: Silence is required. No photography inside the courtyard. Go early morning to avoid tour groups – they start arriving around 10am.

A hidden courtyard of 14th-century almshouses in the city centre, still occupied by single women. Quiet, cobbled, and feels a world away from the crowds.

Tip: Respect the residents — no photos inside the courtyard, and keep your voice down. The English Reformed Church inside has free entry on Saturdays.

A quiet, enclosed courtyard ringed by old almshouses dating from the 14th century. It's still lived in by single women under a religious foundation. Small hidden chapel inside.

Tip: Keep your voice down and don't take photos of residents. The hidden Catholic church (Houten Huys) at number 34 is one of Amsterdam's oldest surviving wooden buildings.

A hidden courtyard of medieval almshouses, founded in the 14th century for the Beguine religious sisterhood. The houses are still lived in, and the English Reformed Church sits in

Tip: Stay quiet—residents live here. Look for the wooden house at number 34, one of the oldest in Amsterdam. The entrance is a plain door on Spui, easy to walk past.

A quiet medieval courtyard with 14th-century almshouses and a hidden Catholic church in the centre of the city.

Tip: Respect the residents—keep your voice down and don't photograph the houses. Entry via the Sint Luciënsteeg door.