Step through an unassuming gate on the Peperstraat — directly across from the city's busiest nightlife street — and find one of the oldest hofjes in the Netherlands. The Sint Geertruidsgasthuis, generally called the Pepergasthuis, was founded around 1408 as an almshouse for elderly women and pilgrims.
The complex is built around two stepped courtyards with a chapel, a herb garden, and red-brick almshouses still in use as housing for older people. The entry is free during daylight hours; visitors are asked to be quiet, since the houses are private homes. It is a perfect five-minute escape from the noise of the centre.