What to See in Leiden

It is named after the mayor Pieter Adriaanszoon van der Werff, who defended the town against the Spaniards in 1574, 6 years into the Eighty Years' War of Independence (1568-1648) against the Spaniards. The town was beleaguered for months and many died from hunger. According to legend van der Werff was accused by a frantic crowd of secretly hiding food reserves.…

An old branch of the Rhine river is little more than a city canal here. Historically, this waterway is what gave the area its importance, first as a Roman border, then during the Golden Age as a trade route. Nowadays, river traffic doesn't use this branch and the river just serves to fill the city's canals with water.…

Naturalis (aka National Museum of Natural History) is a museum on the history of life and the natural planet. The main part of the museum tells the story of life on earth through bones, fossils, etc. The museum also features a collection of specimens from extinct animals, including bones from a Dodo.…

The Boerhaave Museum, named after the 16th century physician and biologist Herman Boerhaave, is the Dutch National Museum of the History of Science and Medicine. It features an extensive exhibition of scientific equipment from 1600 onwards.…

The Church of St. Peter (the patron saint of the city) is a 16th century church, in late-Gothic style. An feature which Americans will find interesting is that this church is associated with the Pilgrim Fathers, whose leader John Robinson, lived in the nearby Pieterskerkchoorsteeg (house is marked with a plaque). The church itself features a small exhibition on the Pilgrims in Leiden.…

Dedicated to St Pancras and located at the site of an earlier wooden chapel dating from 1314. Construction started in 1377 but parts the building were left lower than originally planned when construction was halted in the sixteenth century. Houses were built against its walls during the seventeenth century.…

This is a traditional museum on the history of people. Includes an outstanding collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, and a small temple that was given to the Netherlands by the Egyptians for their help with the Aswan monuments transfer project.…

It was a flour windmill and now is a windmill museum. Located in just less than 5 minutes walk from Leiden central station. You can climb through all the mill's levels. On the top, you can admire the view of Leiden.…

The museum shows the culture of native peoples around the world in a refreshingly open-minded way. Permanent exhibitions are grouped based on geographical regions. A good, well thought-out museum with lots of background information in its bookshop, extensive library, and computer screens that are strewn about the museum.…

A former 16th century orphanage complex (aka Kinderrechtenhuis). It currently hosts Utopa-Weeshuis managed by the Utopa Foundation, an organisation for "updating and promoting creative talents of people, where the construction of individuals for any reason whatsoever, no chance"

Municipal museum in the magnificent 17th century former clothmaker's hall. Permanent collection shows artifacts and art objects throughout the history of Leiden from 16th century, including those of some famous Dutch painters, including Rembrandt.

An old shell keep dated back to 11th century. This elevated borough is freely accessible and right in the heart of Leiden. After climbing the stairways you can walk around and enjoy the magnificent views of Leiden from above.

The old renaissance façade facing Breestraat is dating from 1597. A newer building lying behind this façade (facing Nieuwe Rijn) was built to replace the older one, destroyed in a fire in 1929.

A museum on Japanese art and culture. It displays items that were collected by Philipp Franz von Siebold between 1823 and 1829 during his stay at Dejima, a Dutch trade colony nearby Nagasaki in Japan.

It's actually a small house (built between 1365 and 1370) opposite the bell tower of the Hooglandse kerk, furnished in the style common to the Pilgrim era.

It a bridge over the Nieuwe Rijn. The bridge dates back to 1642 and it was used for corn trade. For this very reason it was covered in 1834.

It is the only surviving 17th century example in the Netherlands of a building that was designed as a public library.

The garden hosts different species of flowers and trees around the world. It's part of the University of Leiden.

It was the home office of the first water management body in the Netherlands. Currently its a meetings venue.

A nice looking 15th century building (despite of being a jail). Currently it's a part of the University.

A small weaver house built in 1560 with an authentic operating loom from 1830.

The old University building still used for ceremonies and a few studies.

A 17th century building used to to weigh and trade various goods.

A former city's carpenter's yard and a wharf (1612)

A 17th century church of an unusual "round" form.

The Eastern gate of the old town.

The Western gate of the city.

The old gymnasium (1599)