Leiden Hotels

Though Leiden’s metro populace of 330,000 inhabitants firmly places it in the top six in the Netherlands, the city feels much more intimate than the number suggests. Indeed, Leiden proper is home to 120,000 people and bedroom suburbs aside, offers a tidy, compact townscape for visitors to admire and discover. As the namesake of venerable Leiden University, the oldest academic institution in the country, the city has a telltale, convivial college town vibe. The university dates back to 1575 and the main campus provides a perfect platform for a photogenic stroll. Over 20,000 students and staff make up the considerable Leiden University community, which translates into a lively array of restaurants, pubs and bars for visitors. Other points of interest in town include the De Burcht citadel, De Valk windmill museum, grand Marekerk cathedral, and superb Lakenhal Municipal Museum. Last but not least, do not miss Leiden’s magnificent Hortus Botanicus, the oldest botanical garden in Europe.

Attractions

• Leiden University
• Zijlpoort
• De Burcht
• De Valk
• Lakenhal Municipal Museum

Activities

• Hortus Botanicus
• Van der Werff Park
• Leiden Film Festival
• Werpop
• Leiden Blues Festival

Restaurants

• In Den Doofpot
• Restaurant Woods
• Asian Palace
• Oudt Leyden
• Everet Tandoori Restaurant

Nightlife

• LVC
• Bar en Boos
• International Jazz Club The Duke
• In den Oude Maren Poort
• Dranklokaal de WW

Climate

Leiden has a temperate maritime climate, with moderate rainfall and relatively mild weather throughout the year.

• Winter (December to February) 0-6°C
• Spring (March to May) 2-15°C
• Summer (June to September) 11-20°C
• Fall (October to November) 4-13°C