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 in 1121. Its most distinctive feature is an unusual marble and stone floor.

The precinct includes the gabled Latin School, which – before it became a commercial building – was attended by a pupil named Rembrandt from 1616 to 1620. Across the plaza, look for the Gravensteen, which dates from the 13th century and was once a prison. The gallery facing the plaza was where judges watched executions.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Leiden attractions

1. Gravensteen

0.04 MILES

The Gravensteen dates to the 13th century and was once a prison. Judges once watched executions from the gallery facing the plaza, which was known as…

2. Latin School

0.05 MILES

Before it became a commercial building, the gabled Latin School, built in 1600, was graced by a pupil named Rembrandt from 1616 to 1620.

3. Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

0.09 MILES

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…

4. Young Rembrandt Studio

0.11 MILES

Leiden's most famous son is celebrated at this 17th-century house where he learned his craft between 1606 and 1630, studying in the studio of Jacob van…

5. Hortus Botanicus Leiden

0.17 MILES

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…

6. Leiden University

0.19 MILES

The Netherlands' oldest university was a gift to Leiden from Willem the Silent in 1575 for withstanding two Spanish sieges in 1573 and 1574. The campus…

7. Burcht van Leiden

0.24 MILES

This 11th-century citadel on a motte (raised earthwork) surrendered its protective function as the city grew around it and subsequently fell into…

8. Leiden American Pilgrim Museum

0.27 MILES

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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