They consist of small houses bordering a lovely courtyard. One of the eldest and most well-known hofjes can be found in the Bakenesser district: the Hofje van Bakenes, also called De Bakenesserkamer.
Haarlem is a real hofjes city, with no less than 22 hofjes. One of the most well-known ones is Hofje De Bakenesserkamer.
According to the will of merchant Dirck van Bakenes, De Bakenesserkamer was built in 1395. The hofje has two entrances: one by the Bakenessergracht and one by the Wijde Appelaarsteeg. The houses – that were also called ‘chambers’ due to their small size – were specially built for poor, elderly and single women and widows. The Teylers Hofje is also famous, as it has an impressive entrance. Just like the Teylers Museum, it stems from the legacy of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst.