Right in the middle of tourist chaos, there's this perfectly preserved medieval courtyard that most people walk past without noticing. Begijnhof is a 14th century beguinage where religious women lived - now it's a peaceful square surrounded by historic houses.

Enter through the wooden door on Spui (easy to miss) or Gedempte Begijnhof. It's free and open during daylight hours. There's also Amsterdam's oldest wooden house from 1420 and a hidden Catholic church. The contrast between the noise of Kalverstraat and this silent courtyard is incredible.