Sint Anna Hofje (Sint Anna Aalmoeshuis), South Holland Province, The Netherlands

4.5 (12 reviews) Spent Ranking #37 in Leiden Historic Walking Areas

a real gem

A tiny gem of a place, off the beaten tourist path. This is the oldest of Leiden's alms houses, founded in 1492. Because of its location and through some sheer good fortune, the small chapel was spared destruction during the waves of iconoclasm that gripped the Netherlands during the Reformation. As such, it contains the oldest stained glass in the Netherlands (sadly, some of which was later destroyed in the early 1800s when a munitions ship exploded on a nearby canal) and the original alter from 1492. While the courtyard of the almshouse is open every day, the chapel is open only on Saturdays from 14:00 to 16:00. The curator is delightful (he wears an actual monocle) and gives an informative, engaging history of the almshouse and the chapel. Highly recommended.

Address

Middelstegracht 2, 2312 TW, Leiden The Netherlands

Website

http://leiden-info.com/bezienswaardigheden/sintannaaalmoeshuis/

Current local date and time now

Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 20:23

User Ratings

4.5 based on (12 reviews)

Excellent
50%
Good
42%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%

Reviews

  • 4FuZandy 5:00 PM Apr 24, 2016
    Adorable little nook
    The Sint Anna hofje is an adorable little nook in the Middelstegracht. Leiden is full of places like this and they are all worth the visit! I really recommend checking this place out!
  • 3RHAHJ 5:00 PM Oct 25, 2015
    Depending on your reference
    This attraction is quite charming. It is a little chapel/church in a small court, for the people living around that court. There are many such courts in the Netherlands and in Leiden, and compared to these others this one is quite nice, and would maybe deserve 4 or 5 stars. If you compare it to large churches or other such attractions, this cannot be rated with more than 3 stars, since it is quite small, and you have seen it in 10 minutes max.

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