A Leiden love story
by Peter George
Moving to a new city is a many-layered experience. On the one hand, it’s something you can do in a day, like when I first turned up in Leiden from Schiphol airport, not quite sure what I was doing shifting my whole life to a place I’d hardly even visited. On the other, it’s a long journey of trial and error, bringing with it moments of joy and frustration, loneliness and friendship, and eventually leading to the point where, three years later, arriving in this wonderful little city feels like coming home. Walking along the canals of the centre on a sunny day, stopping for a coffee or a beer by the water, or popping into one of the multitude of museums, Leiden is the perfect balance between relaxed town vibes and urban hubbub.
For just a taste of the city, Leiden is the perfect distance for a short day trip from Amsterdam but I’ve collected some of my favourite places into my Long weekend in Leiden placelist should you have more time to spare for this beautiful city.
Jump in here for a peak or keep reading for more
Leiden has one of the best preserved canal networks in the Netherlands, and if you’ve just come in on the morning train then I’d recommend heading to the centre and getting a feel for the atmosphere with a walk along the Nieuwe Rijn, the waterway at the city’s heart. For breakfast, grab a café au lait and fabulous croissant aux amandes from Mamie Gourmande, whose pastries and bread somehow taste even better than they look (quite divine). Founded by French bakers, their name symbolises a back-to-basics approach to baking — traditional goods like the kind your grandmother used to make … provided your grandmother was a master pastry chef.
On a Wednesday or Saturday, the quays along the Nieuwe Rijne are home to a busy market where you can grab some fresh hot poffertjes (think delicious mini pancakes) or enjoy the harmonious sound of a ubiquitous market-day barrel organ (perhaps more of an acquired taste). But if you (or the weather) feel more like an indoor day, then now is a good time to explore one of Leiden’s great museums. The bigger ones, like the Volkenkunde Ethnology Museum, home to treasures from all over the world, are places to get lost in for hours. But if you’re looking for a briefer interlude, check out the contemporary textile crafts at the Leids Wevershuis, a hidden gem on the Middelstegracht, or tick off a core Dutch experience with a visit to De Valk Windmill Museum, where you’ll also get great views from the balcony.
For lunch, head back to the Nieuwe Rijn and indulge in some people watching and excellent food on the terrace boat of Roos, one of Leiden’s hippest places to be seen, or if you want to keep walking grab a sandwich from Leidsch Beleg (just round the corner from De Valk). Alongside classics like avocado or smoked salmon, they also offer a Broodje Brak (literally ‘Hungover Sandwich’) that remains ever-popular in the city home to the Netherlands’ oldest university (I wonder why…).
Leiden is a great place for a spot of vintage shopping. The suburbs feature some impressive kringloopwinkels (Dutch charity shops from which you could easily furnish your entire life), but right here in the centre you can find Warenhuis Rex on the Haarlemmerstraat. A real Aladdin’s cave of small bric-a-brac and large furnishings, owner Ben has been in the business for forty five years and has sold everything from DVDs and records to fine art and even mummies (though these have never been in stock when I’ve visited). Once you tear yourself away from this treasure-trove, take an afternoon stroll over to the Hortus Botanicus. Four hundred years ago this garden played host to the first Dutch tulip plants, and today its shady woodland flower groves and hot tropical greenhouses remain well worth a visit at any time of year.
If you fancy a more substantial dinner, I recommend the intimate atmosphere of Noroc near the Pieterskerk, or the lively Latin American small-plates and cocktails of Tabu. But for something lighter (on your wallet if not your arteries), then head to a traditional Dutch chip shop. My personal favourite is Karels Bio-Friet, who make their own chips using organic potatoes straight from the farm. They also have a selection of home-made sauces (try the speciaal or pindasaus if this is your first time in Holland), and their recommendation of the Leidse kaas (cheese and cumin) croquette is one I’d definitely second. Get your food to take away and head to the nearby Van der Werfpark for a picnic in the evening sun.
Before you leave, be sure to make time for drinks at a city-centre bar. De Keyzer features traditional Dutch vibes and is often buzzing with students, whilst North End (whose current owners performed the impressive feat of successfully taking over a bar at the height of corona) gives a good impression of an English pub and is a popular spot for locals and expats alike. But if you want to round off your day nicely back where we began, then head to the Nieuwe Rijn again and enjoy one of the eighty speciality beers on offer at forty-year-stalwart of the Leiden bar scene Meneer Jansen. Sit back on their terrace boat and soak in the view of the city hall and the bustle of the cafés along the water.
Leiden may not be the biggest city, but with so much on offer, its smallness is deceptive and a day there will definitely leave you wanting more. Three years after first arriving I now can’t keep away from its charms, and I wouldn’t be surprised if your first trip has the same effect on you!
Find more recommendations on Peter’s placelist here and check out our TikTok to dive into life in Leiden.
All photos courtesy of Peter, unless credited otherwise.
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