Private guide in Leiden, guided tours in Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden
Netherlands

Information about Leiden

Located near the Kaag Lakes recreational area and not very far from Amsterdam and The Hague, Leiden was originally settled on the banks of the Old Rhine. The entire municipality is interconnected by a series of small, tree-bordered canals used for transport throughout the city.

Leiden has been a college town since the 1500s and is home to Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Center. Many of the town’s original 16th and 17th century structures are still intact, drawing visitors to tour the historical old town center in order to see them. Besides the university, tourists are drawn to the old Castle de Burcht and its citadel, and to Gravensteen, a 13th century fortress that has been a home, a library and a prison, and is currently part of the University.

Other notable attractions include Hooglandse Kerk, the Leiden Observatory, and Naturalis, one of the world’s largest museums of natural history.