Out and about in Leiden with Sonja

I never used to visit Leiden until I went to school there. I was studying facility services at the ROC in Leiderdorp and I always traveled through Leiden. In my class were many people from the Leiden area so I got to see a lot of the city.

Where to start?

Your day in Leiden can start from the train station. In recent years, Leiden’s train station has been refurbished giving it a modern look. The station has two exits. One exit leads to the Naturalis and in the direction of Oegstgeest. The other exit leads to the bus station. From there, you can walk straight into the center via Stationsweg and Steenstraat. Are you a museum lover?

Museum City Leiden

Leiden has no less than 13 museums! We all know the Naturalis, but what about the Museum of Ethnology? This museum is located quite close to the train station. If you walk along the station road towards the center, you will see this museum on your right. Recently, we from OpstapmetLisa also went to the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave. Also a super fun museum, especially for the kids. Not really a museum, but a great place to hang out is the Hortus Botanicus. It is located just outside the center. Part of the Hortus is free to visit during opening hours. Through the Hortus Botanicus you can also visit the old observatory. By the way, the center of Leiden is not overly large. Everything is relatively close together and it is therefore easy to walk!

Cycling city Leiden

Watch out for cyclists! It’s bursting with them in Leiden. Leiden is a real student city and students move fastest by bike between the different university buildings. In fact, there are several of them so as a student you often have to jump on your bike between courses. But especially during rush hour you have to be careful, although all those cyclists in the city do have their charm. Especially the road to the Haarlemmerstraat is a busy road.

Haarlemmerstraat

At some point on Steenstraat, you’ll see a bridge on your left. This bridge leads to the main shopping street of Leiden: the Haarlemmerstraat. By the way, on the bridge you also have the possibility to book a canal cruise. The Haarlemmerstraat is probably the most popular street in Leiden. With no less than 1 km of shopping pleasure. My girlfriends and I could often be found here when class was cancelled. We then had to hurry to be back in class on time, which did not always succeed. We had a lot of footsteps on the Haarlemmerstraat. Here are mostly the regular stores and you can eat at the various eateries. We loved going to eat a sandwich at Annies Birthday. This is a kind of floating lunchroom, but De Waag also has great food and a cozy atmosphere. By the way, De Waag is on the Aalmarkt. You get there by going down the side street the Stille Mare. You can hardly miss it!

Do you like books? The Breestraat!

Reading enthusiasts can indulge in the Breestraat. The Breestraat runs parallel to the Haarlemmerstraat and consists mainly of bookstores and stationery stores. Looking for a particular pen or a special notebook? Then you’re sure to find it here. It is a walhalla for people working on a bullet journal. The Breestraat is slightly quieter than the Haarlemmerstraat. You’ll also find Leiden’s town hall here, by the way.

Nice hidden gems

The first year I was at school in Leiden, a Santa Claus hunt was organized around Christmas. Teachers went into town dressed up and we then had to find them with a map and assignments. Besides being hilarious, it was also the perfect way to get to know the city. So we ended up near the great Pieterskerk, in cute backstreets where you walked on cobblestones, past windmills and canals. If you want to do some kind of scavenger hunt yourself, you can download or buy a scavenger hunt from the Visitor Centre Leiden at Stationsweg 26.

Old Leiden

Old Leiden is fantastically beautiful with picturesque alleys and quaint boutiques and eateries. Especially the courtyards are great! You imagine yourself back in time. Leiden has no less than 35 of these almshouses. The disadvantage is that the hofjes are all spread throughout the city. There is a special city walk that takes you past 12 hofjes. Each hofje has its own story. More information about the hofjes and the special city walk can be found here.

Boating

Leiden is like a small Amsterdam with all its canals. I mentioned earlier that you can book a canal cruise near the Haarlemmerstraat. That’s great fun of course, but you can also combine your canal cruise with good food! At Restaurant In den Doofpot, for example, you can book various arrangements with snacks and drinks. Afterwards you can enjoy a delicious dinner at the restaurant. You can find In den Doofpot at the Turfmarkt. That is just across the bridge before the entrance to the Haarlemmerstraat on the right. By the water, in other words. Another fun canal cruise is Boats and Sandwiches. This 50-minute canal cruise takes you past all the highlights of Leiden. Of course with a nice snack and drink. You can place your orders prior to the cruise. In bad weather the glass roof will close, so don’t let that stop you! The starting point is Blauwpoortsbrug 1. This is on the bridge towards the Haarlemmerstraat.