Haarlem is famous for its hofjes, which are sometimes also referred to as ‘Haarlem’s secret gardens’, and Hofje van Bakenes is the oldest of the city’s 21 hidden courtyards. It’ll no doubt take you a while to find the entrance, but once you spot the green door in the narrow Wijde Appelaarsteeg alley, you can enter a gorgeous, quiet garden surrounded by 17th-century houses once exclusively inhabited by elderly women. The original Hofje van Bakenes dates from 1395, but the houses were renovated as recently as 1663.
