Hofje van Staats in Haarlem

You're standing at the Hofje van Staats on the Jansweg in Haarlem, just a few minutes' walk from the station. A hofje is an almshouse: a group of small homes around a courtyard, built by a wealthy donor for people with little money. Start with the grand building facing the street. That used to be the entrance, and the man who ran the hofje lived here. Above the door is a medallion with the portrait of Ysbrand Staats, the man who made all this possible.