Sights in Leiden
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Naturalis – Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum
A stuffed elephant greets you at Naturalis – Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, a large, well-funded collection of all the usual dead critters and, notably, the million-year-old Java Man discovered by Dutch anthropologist Eugene Dubois in 1891.
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Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
In Leiden today, traces of the Pilgrims are elusive. The best place to start is the tiny Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, a fascinating restoration of a house occupied around 1610 by the soon-to-be Pilgrims. The house itself dates from 1375, but the furnishings are from the Pilgrims’ period. Note the tiles on the floor, originals from the 14th century. Pick up a walking-tour brochure, which helps you explore the surviving parts of 17th-century Leiden.
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Lakenhal
Get your Rembrandt fix at the 17th-century Lakenhal, which houses the Municipal Museum, with an assortment of works by Old Masters, as well as period rooms and temporary exhibits. The 1st floor has been restored to the way it would have looked when Leiden was at the peak of its prosperity.
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Museum Volkenkunde
Cultural achievements by civilisations worldwide are on show at the Museum Volkenkunde. More than 200,000 artefacts span China, South America and Africa. There’s a rich Indonesian collection; watch for performances by the museum’s gamelan troupe.
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Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden has a hieroglyphics collection and 94 human and animal mummies. The entrance hall contains the Temple of Taffeh, a gift from Egypt in 1969 for Dutch help in saving ancient monuments when the Aswan High Dam was built.
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Hortus Botanicus
The lush Hortus Botanicus, Europe’s oldest botanical garden (1587), is home to the country’s oldest descendants of the Dutch tulips. It’s a wonderful place to relax, with explosions of tropical colour and a fascinating steamy greenhouse.
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De Valk
Leiden’s landmark windmill museum, De Valk, has been carefully restored, and many consider it the best example of its kind. Its arms are free to turn ‘whenever possible’ and can still grind the grain.
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De Burcht
De Burcht, an 11th-century citadel on an artificial hill, lost its protective functions as the city grew around it. Now it’s a park with lovely places to view the steeples and rooftops, and has a wonderful cafe at its base.
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Museum Boerhaave
Leiden University was an early centre for Dutch medical research. You can see the often-grisly results (five centuries of pickled organs, surgical tools and skeletons) at the Museum Boerhaave.
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St Pancraskerk
The huge pile of bricks is the 15th-century St Pancraskerk, an agglomeration of styles. Follow the huge steeple to Pieterskerk, which is often under restoration.
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Latin School
The Latin School, is gabled which – before it became a commercial building – was graced by a pupil named Rembrandt from 1616 to 1620.
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Marekerk
The Marekerk dates to 1639 and has a beautiful eight-sided wooden interior. Try to sneak a peak during Sunday services.
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