Things to do in Leiden

Stop and smell the roses and other blossoms in Hortus Botanicus, the Netherland’s oldest botanical gardens. It was begun in the 1590s and includes plants brought back from around the world by the Dutch East India Company. Wander through greenhouses full of tropical plants, see the Japanese garden and learn about the properties of medicinal plants used over many centuries.

The Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology) began in 1816 as a collection of cultural artifacts brought back by collectors from their visits in China and Japan. It has since expanded to include items from Southeast Asia, Australia, North and South America and Africa. Step inside to see some of its more than 200,000 artifacts.

The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, a museum of antiquities, is itself a piece of history. It first opened its doors to the public in 1746 with a small collection of artifacts bequeathed to the Leiden University by a collector. It has since grown and now has a comprehensive collection of ancient relics from Egypt, Rome, Greece and the Near East.

Leiden’s Waag (weigh house) was once a bustling hub for Dutch merchants weighing their goods for sale. Many towns in the Netherlands had these weigh houses, which would guarantee buyers that they weren’t being cheated as they purchased goods. Leiden’s Waag was located right on the Nieuwe Rijn so that boats could transport their cargo directly to the weigh house and from there to market.

Wander through the gateway off the bustling shopping street of Burgsteeg to discover the historic castle of Leiden, known as de Burcht. It was first constructed of stone in the 11th century, but after several attacks was rebuilt in brick in the 13th century. The castle’s 20-foot-tall (6.2-meter) walls protected 15-year-old Ada, Countess of Holland, from the forces of her uncle William, intent on removing her from power.

Visit Leiden’s historic central square, Beestenmarkt, an unusual triangle-shaped area which was once the town’s cattle market. During the 16th to 20th centuries, cattle and other livestock were brought here to sell. Leiden is at the heart of farming lands, so it was and remains a place for farmers to come to trade and buy. The bell hanging in the square was originally the signal to begin the cattle market.