Weekend in the Netherlands: four good reasons to discover Leiden

Located just thirty minutes by car north of The Hague and ten minutes from the beaches of the North Sea, the Dutch city is known to be the birthplace of Rembrandt.

But it is also a university city very popular with European students, seduced by the charm of this city on a human scale.

Its university, founded in 1575, is also one of the oldest in the country: René Descartes was a student there and published his famous

here .

Associated with knowledge, Leiden will be European City of Science in 2022. The opportunity to take the time to sail on its canals and stroll through its historic streets, for a weekend.

Read alsoIn the footsteps of Rembrandt, in the Holland of the Golden Age

A historic city

View of the gothic church Hooglandse Kerk from Burcht, the old medieval castle.

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Formerly the second largest city in the Netherlands, built as early as the 12th century, Leiden became the center of trade in the 17th century.

Particularly well preserved, spared by the wars, the heart of the city seems intact and offers many walks in the small cobbled streets.

Start your day by climbing the

, the ancient medieval castle built at the confluence of the Old and New Rhine.

Standing on an artificial hill, it is one of the oldest fortresses in the Netherlands, of which only the walls remain, the tower having been destroyed.

The 360 ​​view allows you to take the measure of the city and admire the Gothic church

.

Going down, cross the bridge and take the

to discover the Town Hall (

), whose facade dates from 1595.

The city center has around 2,800 historical monuments: each street allows you to explore the famous inner courtyards, which often shelter peaceful little gardens.

Then stop at the

, the oldest church in the city whose first building elements date from the 12th century, in particular for its stained glass windows and the 16th century organ.

You must then extend the walk to

and reach the

by the bridge, an astonishing mill rebuilt in the 1980s on the site of the old one.

Right next to it is one of the last two city gates, the

.

Your steps will then take you back along the

to the second,

, where the

allows you to taste local specialities, in particular oysters and mussels.

End the day with a short tour of the

, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, designed as early as the 16th century for students from the nearby Medical Academy.

An exceptional concentration of museums

If the Netherlands concentrate the largest number of museums per square meter, those of Leiden are very science-oriented.

Thus the

, named after a Dutch doctor who made numerous discoveries, exhibits scientific experiments around the human body.

A playful place particularly suitable for a family visit.

A little further, the

, founded in 1837, retraces all the cultures of the world with an astonishing collection of everyday objects.

Art is obviously inseparable from Leiden: located in an emblematic building from 1640, the

was completed with an extension and a glass dome in 2019. There is a large collection of Dutch artists, from Lucas van Leyden to Erwin Olaf, but also furniture, objects and tableware.

The museum of antiquities,

, houses one of the most extensive collections on ancient Egypt.

Finally impossible to go to Leiden without stopping at 89 Langebrug, the studio where Rembrandt learned painting from Jacob van Swanenburg.

An adorable house in which the first twenty years of the painter's life are traced through an immersive video.

A stroll on the canal

To do as the Dutch do, take a break at one of the ice cream parlors on the quay, a few meters from the Koornbrug bridge.

Press picture

Unlike Amsterdam, where the canals are often saturated on sunny days, those of Leiden are obviously quieter.

Along the 28 kilometers of canals (and 88 bridges!) unfolds a movie set, made up of particularly photogenic traditional 16th and 17th century houses and parks.

You can rent a boat (around €85 for 2 hours for 6 people) or choose to be guided by a skipper for a 50-minute ride (€12 per adult).

In particular, you have to take the

, which runs along the

building , a former monastery transformed into the seat of the university.

To do like the Dutch, who most often come with their own boat, ask to moor a few meters from

, time to take a break at one of the ice cream parlors on the quay.

A new park

In recent years, the city has assembled all the small parks bordering the old town to create the

and make it the flagship of Leiden.

Particularly involved, it is the inhabitants who are not only the soul of the project but also the small hands: all have been working the land, planting and arranging the different spaces.

Like a New York High Line or the Parisian green corridor, it allows you to completely circumnavigate the city on a six-kilometre-long route, starting at any point in the park.

A promenade dotted with historical monuments, such as the

, a windmill, the

, an English park or the very pleasant

.

For a drink, the

rooftop is a real roof garden, perfect for admiring the sunset over the citadel.

ADDRESS BOOK

Tourist office:

visitleiden.nl

Boutique Hotels van Leyden: Huys van Leyden

, Oude Singel 212, 2312 Leiden.

Phone.

: +31 71 260 0700. From €110 per double room.

PLNT The Roof

, Langegracht 70, 2312 NV Leiden.

Phone.

: +31 85 800 0455.

Boat rental:

bootjesenbroodjes.nl.

De Lakenhal Museum or Leiden City Museum

, Oude Singel 32, 2312 RA Leiden.

Phone.

: +31 71 516 5360.

Poort's Brewery

, Haven 100, 2312 ML Leiden, The Netherlands.

Phone.

: +31 71 524 0933.

Hortus Botanicus Leiden

, Rapenburg 73, 2311 GJ Leiden, The Netherlands.

Phone.

: +31 71 527 5144. Open until 6 p.m. from April 1st.