Leiden
Discover Leiden
Leiden (historically known as Leyden) is easily one of the most enchanting cities in the Netherlands. It's home to the oldest university in the country, the birthplace of Rembrandt and breeding ground for ground-breaking science and Nobel laureates for centuries. It's a charmingly compact fortified city, packed with well-preserved historic heritage but with a young and lively atmosphere due to its large student population. With a population of nearly 125,000 (2019), and nearly 30,000 of them students, Leiden is one of the Netherlands' few true student towns (along with Groningen, Utrecht and Delft). Leiden University is the Netherlands' oldest university, founded in the 16th century to commemorate the resistance of its townsfolk to the Spanish siege. Its buildings are dotted around town, in and out of the city centre. This gives Leiden a relatively young and internationally diverse population, especially with the university having a particularly strong law and medical faculty. The Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) is right behind central station. Its vibrant student population means Leiden is never short of a great place for a drink. However Leiden's Dutch students are notorious for being dominated by its 'Studentenverenigingen' (fraternities) which means many international students choose to go to nearby Amsterdam, or the Hague for late-night partying.
What to Experience in Leiden
Taste of Leiden...
Leiden has a lot of restaurants and bars. Especially in the Pieterswijk (the east side of the Breestraat) are a lot of cosy restaurants. For fast(er) food lovers there are several options: If you don't find anything of your liking above, there's a plethora of places offering anything from chips to shawarma and pizza and yes; there are two McDonald's. The city is full of students, and cafes and bars are clearly by far the most frequented 'faculty'. There is a healthy and lively cafe and night life. You cannot help wondering if the students actually get time to study from time to time between the many festivities and drink parties all over town. If you are out for a drink, you will not be disappointed. Be aware that you can't enter the bars after 01:00 and after 02:00 on Friday and Saturday. Like every other town in the Netherlands Leiden doesn't lack the presence of cannabis-selling coffeeshops. This town definitely has a few nice options if you're interested. They are open between 16:00 and 22:00. There are plenty of good mid-range hotels and B&Bs in the city. But there's no youth hostel and sleeping in town for less than €50 per room can be challenging. If your budget is tight, you might consider visiting Leiden on a day trip while staying in hostels in the area or bring your camping gear. There's a hostel in Noordwijk (10 km) and The Hague also has options, with a "fast biking" route to Leiden (<1 hr by bike).
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Leiden.
A comprehensive program of all of the festivals and activities can be found at the VVV site. It is said that Leiden isn't a city with a university in it, but a university with a city around it. Leiden University was founded in 1575. Internationally recognised, Leiden University houses more than 40 national and international research institutes. The university is particularly well known for its law programs, and has a very strong medical faculty, attracting students from all over Europe. The international community is very strong, organising great parties throughout the year. For more information about studying as an international student at Leiden read the leidener, a blog run by some international students. Haarlemmerstraat and Breestraat are the main shopping streets at the heart of the city center. They are both reachable within 10-15 min. walking from the central station. Shops include bookstores, fashion shops and other ordinary shopping items.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsLeiden is easily reached by train. The journey takes 10–15 minutes from The Hague, and 15 minutes from Schiphol Airport, the principal airport in the Netherlands. The journey from Amsterdam takes between 30 and 40 minutes. Trains run by NS (including all that arrive in Leiden) are now all accessible using your bank card. If you do not feel like walking from the station to the centre you can take a bus, just ask which ones go to the Breestraat bus stop (see #By bus below). A square just outside of the Leiden railway station is a central hub for the local bus network, so if you want to go anywhere local your best bet is to go here and ask around. In spite of the two highways around Leiden (A4 and A44), the centre of Leiden isn't easy to reach by car. It is best to try to park your car at the transferium (free parking) and continue your journey by bus. For this transferium you have to follow the A44 and then take exit 8 (Katwijk, Leiden Transferium)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The large majority of sights are within the old city fortifications. It's a compact area, easy to navigate on foot. The tourist information office right outside the main train station has a number of free and paid maps with main sights and walking routes, but even just strolling around for a while will allow you to see the main historic buildings and museums. For faster exploring or to visit places further out, renting a bicycle is an excellent idea. Like all Dutch cities, Leiden is very bike-friendly and you'll find it's an extremely widely used means of transport where-ever you go. Some rental agencies offer both traditional and electric bikes. Leiden is one of the most important museum cities in the Netherlands, in quantity only second to Amsterdam. Four national museums are located in Leiden, among others, that are worth to visit. With its history as a university city you will only find one art museum, but several on topics ranging from ethnology to natural history.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of good mid-range hotels and B&Bs in the city. But there's no youth hostel and sleeping in town for less than €50 per room can be challenging. If your budget is tight, you might consider visiting Leiden on a day trip while staying in hostels in the area or bring your camping gear. There's a hostel in Noordwijk (10 km) and The Hague also has options, with a "fast biking" route to Leiden (<1 hr by bike). Amsterdam is a half-hour trip by train, but calculate that the return ticket will set you back about €17. Some cafes and fast food places have free WiFi. Ask the cafe staff for advice. Leiden is a student town, free WiFi is highly appreciated there. There are also 'hot spots' e.g. at the station, however, these are run by the previous state monopoly 'KPN'. These are free to use. Free WiFi is also provided in various places in Leiden by Stichting Wireless Leiden, you can recognize this by a SSID which start with 'ap-WirelessLeiden-'.
Money & Budget
Haarlemmerstraat and Breestraat are the main shopping streets at the heart of the city center. They are both reachable within 10-15 min. walking from the central station. Shops include bookstores, fashion shops and other ordinary shopping items. In the areas around the Pieterskerk and Hooglandsekerk, small boutiques and antique shops are worth a visit. On Monday, shops open late from 12:00 until 17:00 or 18:00. All the shops are open on every Sunday (Only a few smaller shops remain closed). On Thursday, shops are open late, till around 21:00 (koopavond). Historically, all the city's lively markets were situated along the Nieuwe Rijn canal. Some names of the bridges over this canal remain as reminders of the trades that took place there once.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Leiden
A view of the Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden, the Netherlands
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a body of water surrounded by buildings and trees
Mooie ochtend in Leiden
bridge over calm river with lighted street lights during night time
a group of cars parked in front of a building
a windmill sitting on top of a river next to tall buildings
a river running through a city next to tall buildings
a group of buildings next to a body of water
Am alten Rhein in Leiden
A view of the Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden, the Netherlands
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a body of water surrounded by buildings and trees