Set out to parts unknown in gorgeous Leiden
Rembrandtbrug drawbridge in Leiden city center
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown:” – Anthony Bourdain
Located in South Holland on the Oude Rijn, a branch of the Rhein Delta, Leiden is a city of water. Begun as a settlement on a hill at the confluence of the Old and New Rhein, its name derives from the Germanic, meaning canal. The 11th-century castle fortification De Burcht van Leiden still stands at the junction of the two river arms. Before Leiden was a town of any renown, the Counts of Holland lived here, and their homestead had a chapel that later became the Pieterskerk. Between their court and the Burcht, the small market town grew.
From the late 1400s, Leiden became renowned for weaving, mainly broadcloth, as well as printing and publishing. During the Dutch Golden Era, Leiden ranked as the second city to Amsterdam. However, economic decline ensued from the late 17th until the middle of the 19th century. That left much of the 1600s city center intact, to the delight of residents and visitors alike. Additionally, two ancient city gates, the Morspoort, a bridge connection to the city, and the western Zijlpoort gate remain, as do the Renaissance City Hall and the weigh house, De Waag.
Not intact is a neighborhood called Steenschuur, where a boatload of gunpowder blew up on the canal in 1807 destroying many homes and killing 160 residents. The disaster struck during a textile industry recession, so the land was abandoned until a park was laid out 80 years later. Named after Van der Werff, the mayor who persuaded the town folk not to surrender during the Spanish siege of 1574, the park annually hosts the Liberation of Leiden celebration on October 3rd.
Because Leiden played a pivotal role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, William I of Orange rewarded the city by establishing the country’s oldest university in 1575, known even today for the sciences. Fifteen years later, the tulip was introduced to Western Europe by a circuitous route: as a gift from a Turkish prince to an Austrian ambassador who gave it to the pioneering botanist Professor Carolus Clusius, who planted it in the now world-renowned Hortus Botanicus that he created for Leiden University. With buildings scattered around the city and an international student body, the university gives Leiden a young and bustling feel.
Leiden served as the place from where a group of English religious refugees set out to parts unknown, thus becoming known as the Pilgrims. With leader John Robinson, they arrived in Leiden in 1609, congregating at the Gothic Hooglandse (High Land) Kerk. Today, the American Pilgrim Museum is housed in two ancient buildings across the street. Though New York retains a city section named after Haarlem, just 29 km (18 mi) to the north, it was from here the Pilgrims departed in 1620 for the Massachusetts Bay and New Amsterdam colonies because they feared losing their English identity. The ill Robinson stayed behind to be buried in the Pieterskerk.
Modern Leiden retains numerous “hofjes” worth seeking out, and the Windmill De Valk, which is worth climbing. Unique to Leiden is a poem wall project begun in 1922 that continues today. Interesting poems appear on house walls at any turn, such as along the Leiden Loop or the Rembrandt Route. Of the many wonderful Leiden museums, the exceptional Lakenhal shows native son Rembrandt’s earliest known paintings, the Four Senses.
Don’t Miss:
Taking a canal cruise on an electric boat with Bootjes en Broodjes, located at the bridge keeper’s house on the Blauwpoorts Bridge in the city center, to see the city from its other side.
Serendipity:
Locals along the way- getting a recommendation from a young waiter to see the pilgrim museum and their church.
Lunch Tip:
Roos at Botermarkt for delicious soups and salads on a canal barge.
Dinner:
Proef Lokaal 1574 with delicious food and an extensive wine menu.
Bedtime:
Van der Valk Hotel Leiden, located directly on the Old Rhein, a 10-minute bus ride from the central station.
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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D5600 or iPhone 14 Pro.*