This past weekend, fall was finally in full-force with the lowest temperatures we’ve seen so far this year. Despite the chilly weather, the sun was out and the sky was blue, so Dan and I hopped on the Sprinter train heading south, and just 35 minutes later we found ourselves in the town of Leiden.
Leiden is home to the Netherland’s oldest and most prestigious university. Several famous people have studied here, including many members of the Dutch Royal Family, the philosopher Spinoza, and US President John Quincy Adams. Even Rembrandt was enrolled here at one time, although he didn’t last long and eventually left the college (and Leiden) in favor of pursuing a career in painting in Amsterdam.
Many parts of town feel like an old, Ivy League campus — stately brick buildings with more ornamentation than your average Dutch facades line the canals. Ornate gates and counterweight bridges bookend small pedestrian bridges. It’s easy to feel as though you’ve been transported to 17th-century Holland, during the peak of the Dutch Golden Age when the Netherlands was known worldwide for its booming trade industry, scientific innovation, and religious tolerance. It’s amazing to think that at one point Rembrandt and the Pilgrims were living side-by-side here; that is, until the Pilgrims set sail for the New World in 1620.
We did the 2-hour walking tour of Leiden from the Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands travel guide, which was one of the best self-guided tours I’ve done to date. The tour took us through some off-the-beaten path places — we explored a number of narrow alleyways, hidden courtyards (called hofjes), and quiet squares and learned a tremendous amount about the fascinating history of this relatively small town.
Day Trip to Leiden
The best way to reach Leiden from Amsterdam is by train, which takes around 30 to 45 minutes. Both the Intercity and Sprinter trains stop here, so check with Google Maps to see which is faster given your origin. Leiden is located near both The Hague and Rotterdam, which means trains between Amsterdam and this region are regular and frequent.
Don’t miss my post: Best Day Trips from Amsterdam!
The Highlights
As I mentioned earlier, we did a self-guided walking tour, which was definitely the best way to experience Leiden.
In order to reach the old town you’ll first need to cross the Singel, a portion of the moat that once surrounded the town to protect it from Spanish siege. To your left as you cross the bridge is the Windmill Museum, a functioning windmill from 1743 that is open for tours. Near the windmill are Leiden’s two primary museums: the Lakenhal Museum (art) and Boerhaave Museum (science).
The Carpenters House on Galgewater Canal is a prime example of Dutch Golden Age architecture. Just across the canal is Rembrandtplein, where a young Rembrandt once lived. His childhood home no longer exists, but you can still see the actual building where he went to Latin School at Lokhorststraat 16. Just one block south from there is the Pieterskerk (St. Peter’s Church) and Square, where the pilgrims lived before setting sail for the New World in 1620.
Even though Leiden University doesn’t have a consolidated campus, some of its academic buildings are worth a visit. The University’s Hortus Botanicus dates back to 1590 and is the oldest botanical garden in the country. It’s also thought to be the location where the first tulip bulb was planted in the Netherlands.
Further east is the Burcht, an 11th-century military fortification with a strategic location that also lends itself to decent views of the city. The other church in town, Hooglandsekerk, is a block away and can be seen from the Burcht’s ramparts. Also nearby is the charming American Pilgrim Museum, a house-turned-museum run by an American expat who has been living in Leiden (and studying Pilgrim history) for the past 30 years.
Molenmuseum (Windmill Museum)
Near the train station is the Molenmuseum de Valk, a flour mill from 1743 that was built on top of the city walls that once surrounded Leiden. The wall has since been torn down, but the windmill remains and is the last surviving mill of its kind in town. The windmill’s blades are still operable — tours are available year-round to show visitors what the inside of a functioning windmill looks like.
TO VISIT: The Molenmuseum de Valk is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is €12 for adults and €2 for children ages 6 to 15. Admission is free for Museumkaart holders. Click here to read more about museum passes in the Netherlands.
Lakenhal Museum
Leiden’s main art museum, the Lakenhal Museum, has a collection that spans from the 16th century to present day, including some works by Dutch masters. The museum is currently closed for renovation, so its collection is on loan to various museums around Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
TO VISIT: The Lakenhal Museum is currently closed for renovations but is expected to reopen Spring of 2019.
Boerhaave Museum
Named after a famous physician and botanist from Leiden, the Boerhaave Museum covers the history of science and medicine with a focus on innovations from the Dutch Golden Age. The exhibitions are interactive and interesting (although with limited English translations), but for me the highlight was the full-scale anatomical theater, which is a replica of a theater from Leiden University from the early 17th century.
TO VISIT: The Boerhaave Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm. The Museum is closed most Mondays and some holidays. Admission is €12.50 for adults and €5 for children ages 4 to 17. Admission is free for Museumkaart holders. Click here to read more about museum passes in the Netherlands.
Pieterskerk (St. Peter’s Church) and Square
Around 1609, a large group of Pilgrims arrived in the Netherlands. They were religious refugees from England and chose the Netherlands as their new home due to its reputation for religious tolerance. They first arrive to Amsterdam and then eventually made their way to Leiden, settling in the square surrounding Pieterskerk (St. Peter’s Church). Several years later in 1620, when the Netherland’s treaty with Spain was set to expire, the Pilgrims left Leiden and set sail for the New World. Some of the Pilgrims stayed behind, including their minister, John Robinson, who is buried at Pieterskerk.
Today the church is used as a private event space with some exhibitions on the building’s history and connection to the Pilgrims. The church has had many notable visitors over the years, including Rembrandt, Quincy Adams, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, and George Bush Sr.
TO VISIT: Pieterskerk is open daily from 11:00am to 6:00pm. Admission is €3 per person.
Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Gardens)
Leiden University’s Hortus Botanicus is the oldest botanical gardens in the Netherlands, with portions dating back to 1590. It’s thought that the first tulip bulb may have been planted here by a professor that recently returned from a trip to Turkey, where tulips are a native species. The garden is now home to over 60,000 plant specimens, including several endangered species.
TO VISIT: The Botanical Gardens’ summer hours (April 1 to October 31) are Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00am to 6:00pm; the winter hours (November 1 to March 31) are daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is €7.50 for adults and €3 for children ages 4 to 12. Admission is free for Museumkaart holders. Click here to read more about museum passes in the Netherlands.
Burcht
The Burcht was constructed in the 11th century as a military fortification; it’s empty shell was designed to serve as a place for residents to safely barricade themselves in times of siege. For strategic reasons, the shell structure was built on top of a man-made mound at the intersection of the New and Old Rhine rivers. Climbing the stairs to the top of the Burcht gives you a decent 360-degree view of the otherwise flat town.
TO VISIT: The Burcht is open year-round and is free to visit — just look for a set of stairs leading up the hill.
American Pilgrim Museum
The American Pilgrim Museum occupies the oldest house in town and gives a glimpse into the daily life of the Pilgrims that called Leiden home. The museum and its related non-profit organization is run by Jeremy Bangs, an American who has lived in Leiden for over 30 years and whose lifework is devoted to studying, teaching, and writing about the history of Leiden and the Pilgrims.
TO VISIT: The American Pilgrim Museum is open Thursday to Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, as well as some holidays. Admission is €5 per person and free for children 6 and under.
Recommended Reading
It has an excellent section on Day Trips and includes a good overview on Leiden, including a nice 2-hour self-guided walking tour that takes you past the city’s most important monuments and most beautiful canals.
Click here to purchase Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands travel guide.
