Visit Leiden — the City of Keys with 2,700 monuments, 13 museums, canals and Rembrandt

Historic sights and 2,700 monuments

Leiden dates back to around 860 AD and packs more than 2,700 listed monuments into a city centre you can walk across in twenty minutes — the second-largest protected historic centre in the Netherlands. England's Pilgrim Fathers lived and worked here between 1609 and 1620 before sailing for the New World, which is why so many American visitors discover family ties in the Leiden archives.

Canals, bridges and water everywhere

After Amsterdam, Leiden has more canals than any other Dutch city: 28 kilometres of 17th-century waterways and 88 bridges. Take a guided canal cruise, rent a small electric boat without a licence, or simply sit on a waterside terrace and watch the city drift by.

World-class museums for every kind of weather

Thirteen museums sit within walking distance of each other, from the National Museum of Antiquities and its Egyptian mummies to Naturalis with its T. rex Trix, the science collections of Rijksmuseum Boerhaave and Japan-focused Japanmuseum SieboldHuis. A rainy day in Leiden is never a wasted day.

The best base for Keukenhof and the bulb fields

From late March to mid-May, Keukenhof — the world's largest flower garden — is a 30-minute bus ride from Leiden Centraal. Staying in Leiden instead of Amsterdam means shorter journeys, cheaper rooms and tulip fields that start on the edge of town.

Student energy, relaxed prices

Some 30,000 students give Leiden a lively, unpretentious nightlife: brown cafés, canal-side terraces, free open-air concerts in summer and independent boutiques instead of chain stores. Hotel rates are typically well below Amsterdam for the same night.

Famous places in Leiden

Beyond museums and canals, Leiden is packed with distinctive spots you should not miss — from the view at De Burcht to the stately Rapenburg and lively Nieuwe Rijn.

• All famous placesOverview of 18 iconic places in the city
• Hooglandse KerkLate-Gothic church near De Burcht
• RapenburgThe most beautiful canal in the Netherlands
• PieterskerkGothic church and Pilgrim Fathers heritage