Leiden is a mini Amsterdam

Okay, we’ll be honest – the only reason we initially looked into staying in the Dutch university town of Leiden was because it was significantly more affordable than Holland’s capital Amsterdam. After staying however we feel Leiden really does deserve a place on the map. That’s because aside from being slightly cheaper, it’s also a city steeped in history, scientific discoveries and influences from all over the world (thanks to the student population living there).

We likened Leiden to a ‘mini Amsterdam’ – it still has all the classic Dutch drawcards (think windmills, picturesque canals and a cute town vibe) without feeling overrun by tourists. Don’t get us wrong, its still touristy especially if you wander along the main drag, however we found it much easier to find a quiet spot to enjoy a glass of wine and take in the beautiful surrounds than we did in its more popular sister city.

History of Leiden

Something that surprised us was how many influential people and famous discoveries came out of Leiden! For example, Rembrandt was born in Leiden and there are numerous plaques/statues dedicated to him scattered throughout the city. Descartes also published his most famous words ‘I think therefore I am’ in Leiden! Some of Galileo’s work was housed in Leiden during a time when books were banned throughout varying parts of Europe and Einstein even spent time in the city discussing his theories with fellow physicists at the university. Its no wonder Leiden is heavily leaning into it’s reputation of being the ‘City of Science’.

How to get from Leiden to Amsterdam

Another pro of staying Leiden is how easy it is to get into the centre of Amsterdam (without the need to pay a a premium to stay there) We visited Amsterdam twice for day trips during our visit, catching the train from Leiden Centraal direct to Amsterdam Centraal. The trip takes around 30-40 minutes, and costs approx. 10 euros one way at the time of writing. Tickets can easily be bought at the train station with trains running every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of day you plan to travel. Overall its a relatively stress free journey especially if you happen to find accommodation close to Leiden Centraal. As an added bonus, one of the stops on the way into Amsterdam Centraal is Schiphol Airport making it nice and easy if happen to be entering or exiting the country by air.

Some top things to do in Leiden Wander the canals

With any town that sits along canals (e.g. Venice, Amsterdam, Bruges etc), wandering along them is always a highlight! Leiden is no different, boasting a multitude of picturesque canals that intersect the city. We urge you to spend some of your time just walking and taking in the views, this was our highlights from Leiden! Our favourite canal was Steenschur, located a few minutes walk from the heart of the town.

Windmill hunting

Historically windmills in Holland served the purpose of pumping water from the low lands back into rivers. While many no longer actually function for this purpose they remain an impressive sight to behold. There are three main windmills scattered around the town of Leiden one of which is in the centre and the other two are a little further out on the fridges of the city.

* This article was originally published here