The 17th-century Hof van Wouw will hold a Garden Day on Saturday, 12 June from 10.00 to 17.00 hrs. The theme this year is ‘The Historical Almshouse Kitchen’.

How and where did people cook in the almshouses between the 17th and 20th centuries and how is it done now? Can anyone still remember the separate buildings with ovens and cooking in the box beds? And did you know that The Hague has only been hooked up to a municipal sewer system since around 1900.

Using old and new photographs, Catherine Kamerlingh Onnes, one of the trustees of the Hof van Wouw, will talks about the old and new situation during the Garden Day.

During an extensive tour around the authentic almshouse and the trustees’ house from 1647, you can also take a look at the project started in 2009 to renovate the kitchens of all the houses.

The orange trees with their fragrant blossoms and special rare culinary fruits and (nearly) forgotten vegetables and herbs make it worth your while to take a walk through the Garden of the Hesperides (Tuin der Hesperiden). You can enjoy a drink and homemade apple cake on the patio. A number of homemade crafts, like jams, cards, calendars and fruity liqueurs will be on sale. All the proceeds from the day will go towards the upkeep of the almshouse and garden.

More info

The Garden Day in the Hof van Wouw costs € 3.50 per person and € 2.00 for children.

The entrance to the Garden of the Hesperides is at Brouwersgracht 30 (through the lane between nr. 24 and the letter box. You can reach the garden by public transportation on Tram 2, 3 and 6,  The closest parking is in the parking garage in the Prinsengracht/Brouwersgracht tram tunnel.