When walking through Leiden its rich history still seems very much alive, The university’s Academy Building, the Burcht and the Weighing House, the stately patrician mansions along the famous canal Rapenburg, the churches Pieterskerk and Hooglandse Kerk, the 35 almshouses each tell a part of Leiden’s history, This is where Rembrandt was born and developed his painting skills, this is where doctor Boerhaave taught and where, 400 years ago, Clusius brought the first Dutch tulip to flower.

Leiden has 12 museums, all well worth a visit. The priceless and unique collections on display enjoy international fame. The National Museum of Antiquities with its Roman, Greek and Egyptian collections, the National Museum for Ethnology with its treasures from other cultures, Museum Boerhaave, unveiling the history of medical science, the Lakenhal with its works by Rembrandt, Lucas van Leyden and Ian Steen, the National Presentation of Natural History Naturalis, it’s just a selection of all the treasures Leiden museums have on display.

As a centre of science Leiden ‘s atmosphere is largely determined by its university. In 1575 Leiden was the first city in the North of Holland to be given a university, which was to propagate free thought. This university has developed into a world famous centre of science, while its many students contribute to the lively and convivial atmosphere in the city.

Leiden’s lively shopping and entertainment centre in the old city of Leiden boasts a wide variety of shops. Moreover, every Wednesday and Saturday there is a general market along the banks of the Rhine, a market which has been in existence for over 9 centuries! A choice of theatres and concert venues and many events throughout the year make Leiden a city that offers something for each and everybody.

In the heart of Dutch Rhineland Leiden is situated between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Just around the corner one can find the beaches, to the north one finds an extensive lake district and the bulb fields, while in the south the typically Dutch polders are waiting to receive the active tourist.

Leiden may be defined as the most intellectual city of the realm, not only because of its celebrated university, but also for its group of philosophers and scientists who rapidly brought the university to a high European standard. The city grew up along the main branch of the Rhine River: recent excavations have established that by 800 a settlement already existed on the spot. Its Roman name was Lugdunum Batavorum. Shortly after the year 800, the Danish king Harold erected a keep here which would be taken over, a hundred years later, by the Counts of Holland.

Under the reign of the Counts, the city, then known as Leithen, expanded and took up trade and commerce, so that by the beginning of the 13th century, it was granted municipal rights. Leyden has become a part of Dutch legend for a memorable historical event. From October 31 , 1573 it was besieged by General Valdez, commander of the Spanish troops, who was hoping to conquer the city by starving it into surrender, but after a year had gone by, Leiden was still valorously resisting. The local paupers and beggars, called “gueux”, thought up the idea of bringing aid and reinforcement to the besieged city by opening a dike every night, and thus allowing the Dutch fleet, which travelled from one lake to another, to reach Leiden in no time. On October 3, 1574 the siege was lifted and the gueux, thereafter known as “watergeuzen”, i.e. water paupers, were able to distribute herring and white bread to the famished city. The episode has become a tradition: on October 3 of every year the Mayor distributes the same simple food to the citizens of Leiden so that everyone may remember those formidable days of heroism.

Moreover, the history of the university is linked to the very same episode. In order to express his gratitude to the city for the tenacity and courage they had displayed throughout the long siege, William of Orange proposed a choice of one or two benefits: either the city could be exempted from paying taxes forever or else be granted its own university. Leiden opted for the latter solution and the following year was endowed with its university campus which from then on became the focal point of the whole town. It was on account of the university that Leiden became the crossroads and meeting place of the intelligentsia of all of Europe.

The greatest minds of the 16th and 17th centuries taught in it. We shall briefly mention: the mathematician Snellius, the jurist Hugo de Groot, the physician Boerhave (of whom it was said the address “Boerhave, Europe” was more than enough for the couriers), the botanist Clasius (famous for his experiments on tulips, of which he managed to produce an incredible number of varieties), the physicist Musschenbroek (the inventor of the first condenser), and the physicist Huygens (who set forth the theory of the undulation movement of light), not to mention the philosopher Descartes.

During this period Leiden set another record in the field of cultural activity: in 1617 a printing shop specializing in rare languages such as Chinese, Arabic, and Persian was founded. Nevertheless, the city’s prosperity was not linked to its cultural fervour, but rather it was based upon an extremely flourishing cloth trade. Whoever loves art will certainly find Leiden a treat. The name of the painter Geerten tot Sint Jans is the first one which comes to mind, immediately followed by Lucas of Leiden. But life was not always easy for Leydon. In 1807 in the centre of the attractive neighbourhood known as Rapenburg a ship with a cargo of gunpowder exploded and a large section was totally destroyed. This area, for a long time known as the Ruins, has been transformed into the Van der Werf Park.

Nevertheless, there are still monuments which are living proof of the city’s glorious past: the 17th century City Hall, destroyed in 1929 (only the facade of which designed by Lieven de Key was partially spared), the picturesque Vismarkt, the old fish market, and the quaint Korenbeursbrug, the bridge where wheat prices were negotiated, with its classical style wooden portico that the local inhabitants call “our own Rialto”. In addition to these monuments there are the churches: the Pieterskerk, now Protestant, an imposing double aisled Gothic church consecrated in 1121 and the Hooglandsekerk, just a tiny wooden chapel dedicated to St. Pancratius in the 14th century, and later rebuilt in the Gothic style two hundred years later. In addition to the churches there are the museums, the foremost of which is the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities), one of the greatest archaeological museums in all of Europe with its prehistoric, Etruscan, Greek, Egyptian, and Roman collections. On the same level is the Rijksmuseum vor Volkenkunde (Ethnographic Museum) which was founded in 1837, thus making it one of the oldest in Europe. The objects on display are masterpieces of art from the various civilizations ranging from the Americas to Africa and the Orient. Especially noteworthy is the Indonesian collection.

We must not overlook the Museum voor de Geschiedenis der Natuurwetensschappen, the National Museum of the History of Science, which contains a huge number of historical instruments and documents and the Stedelijk Museum, also known as Lakenhal, located in the cloth merchants’ building, with its collections of 15th, 16th, and 17th century Dutch and Flemish art.