Waag in Alkmaar

You're standing on the Waagplein in Alkmaar, in front of the Weigh House. First, take in the richly decorated Renaissance façade. Then look down at the paving next to it. You can still see the outline of a chapel's choir in the stones. That's because this building started out as a chapel, back in the fourteenth century, belonging to the Holy Spirit hospice, where poor travellers could stay three days and nights for free.