Leiden
Why go?
See & do
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Kids museumsSee, do and experience at Naturalis!
Dinos, the ice age, life on earth: learn all about biodiversity and nature at Naturalis in Leiden.
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Kids museumsCORPUS
A unique journey through the human body with a tour and exhibition explaining how our bodies work and how the differ-ent organs relate to each other.
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Art museumsMuseum de Lakenhal
Discover more than 400 years of art and history in Leiden’s municipal museum.
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ArchitectureThe Leiden Citadel
Climb the thousand year old citadel in the centre of Leiden.
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ArchitectureHooglandse Kerk
The Hooglandse Kerk was never completed and yet it is a beautiful monumental church in Leiden.
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ArchitectureMorspoort city gate
Find a table on a terrace on the western edge of the city right next to the centuries-old city gate.
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Also great:
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Flowers Hortus Botanicus Leiden Add to itinerary -
Museums Rijksmuseum Boerhaave Add to itinerary -
Architecture Leidse hofjes Add to itinerary -
Architecture The Zijlpoort Add to itinerary -
History museums Japan Museum SieboldHuis Add to itinerary -
History museums National Museum of Ethnology Add to itinerary
Eating & drinking
Discover the restaurants, squares and terraces in Leiden. This university city is dotted with surprising, hip and affordable restaurants. There are terrace ships in the canals in the center, making your meal and drinks even more special.
Restaurants in Leiden
Take your pick from our list of top restaurants and have a lovely lunch or dinner in Leiden.
Leiden market
Every Saturday the best market in Holland arises in Leiden’s city centre.
Where to stay
5 unique accommodations in Leiden
Wellness hotel, country estate, private apartment and two more special locations: discover them here!
Events in Leiden
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16 Nov. 2020
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2 Oct. 2021
Leiden’s secrets
Discover Leiden as seen through the eyes of the locals with this series of secrets of the city.
Read moreWe recommend
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Wall poetry
Over one hundred beautiful poems in multiple languages embellish Leiden’s inner city.
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Architecture
The Leiden Citadel
Ralph seeks out relaxation with his family in the outdoors. -
Kids museums
See, do and experience at Naturalis!
Joyce is a real outdoorsy mother who likes going to the beach.
Leiden Details
Apart from Amsterdam, Leiden’s inner city has the greatest number of waterways and bridges in the country. Every summer an amazing parade of boats and other floating vehicles sail through the city’s canals. The inner city is also lined with gentlemen’s houses, university buildings and museums with surprising exhibitions. Naturally this student town boasts a broad variety of attractive terraces, restaurants and cafes.
The area around Leiden also has plenty to offer. Go sailing on the Kagerplassen lakes, sun bathing on Katwijk’s beach or ride a bicycle through the flower-bulb region. All these Dutch highlights are just a 30-minute ride away from Leiden’s town centre. In short, there are many reasons to visit Leiden.
Check out the map and plan your visit
Transport in Leiden
Met het openbaar vervoer
Leiden is located between The Hague and Amsterdam, as well as two international airports. It is a great city for cycling, so go ahead and rent a bicycle at the train station.
Met de auto
Cars are not allowed in the city center but there are ample parking spaces around the center. A free bus will take you from the Haagweg car park to the center.
Transport in Holland
Distances within Holland are easily bridged. Any location you might want to visit can be reached within three hours. The train, bus and tram will taken you pretty much anywhere you want to go. You can also explore Holland by bicycle. With over 32,000 kilometers worth of bicycle paths, Holland is a real cycling country with many fantastic cycling routes.
