Netherlands, Leiden, view across canal with Leiden university's Academy Building on the right

Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

Leiden

Vibrant Leiden is one of the Netherlands' great cities. Woven with canals lined by beautiful 17th-century buildings, its cache of museums, all within walking distance of each other, are a major draw, as is wandering the picturesque canals and soaking up the nightlife, fuelled by a 27,000-strong student population.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

    Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

    Leiden

    Home to the Rijksmuseum's collection of Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian artefacts, this museum is best known for its Egyptian halls, which include the…

  • Museum De Lakenhal

    Museum De Lakenhal

    Leiden

    Leiden's foremost museum reopened in 2019 following a three-year renovation. Its 1640-built premises (a former cloth warehouse) again displays its…

  • Museum Volkenkunde

    Museum Volkenkunde

    Leiden

    Cultural achievements by civilisations worldwide are showcased at this splendid museum, which has a collection of more than 300,000 artefacts from across…

  • Rijksmuseum Boerhaave

    Rijksmuseum Boerhaave

    Leiden

    Named in honour of physician, botanist, chemist and University of Leiden teacher Herman Boerhaave (1668–1738), this impressive museum of science and…

  • Pieterskerk

    Pieterskerk

    Leiden

    Crowned by its huge steeple, this now deconsecrated church is often under restoration – a good thing, as it has been prone to collapse since it was built…

  • Hortus Botanicus Leiden

    Hortus Botanicus Leiden

    Leiden

    Founded by the University of Leiden in 1590, this is one of Europe's oldest botanical gardens (the oldest was created in Padua, Italy, in 1545). The…

  • Hooglandse Kerk

    Hooglandse Kerk

    Leiden

    Built on the Hoge Land (High Land) of Leiden, this church was consecrated in 1366 as the collegiate church of St Pancras and was extended in stages…

  • Leiden American Pilgrim Museum

    Leiden American Pilgrim Museum

    Leiden

    This museum is a fascinating restoration of a one-room house occupied around 1610 by the soon-to-be Pilgrims. The house itself dates from 1365–70 (check…

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