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Discover world-famous painters, scientists, writers, museums and festivals.

LEIDEN. KEY TO DISCOVERY

In the Golden Age, Leiden was the second most important city in the Netherlands with all of its wealth and academic fame. It is in this atmosphere that the sociable, authentic "Leidener" has been living alongside the equally sociable student in the charming, historic inner city lined with canals. Rembrandt, the most famous Leidener of all, would still be able to find his way around the picturesque streets and alleys today while making a discovery or two at the same time. Leiden is not called the Key to Discovery for nothing.

Painters Galore

No other city has given the world as many painters as Leiden: Rembrandt van Rijn, fine-painter Gerrit Dou, the jovial innkeeper Jan Steen, Jan van Goyen, Lucas van Leyden, and Theo van Doesburg, who established De Stijl ("the style") in Leiden.

A Plethora of World-Famous Museums

No other city offers as many wonderful museums in one spot as Leiden. Naturalis (Museum of Natural History), Hortus botanicus (Botanical Gardens), Museum Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology), Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) (Egypt, among other subjects), the Boerhaave Museum (science), the SieboldHuis (Japan), Municipal Museum De Lakenhal (Rembrandt and Leiden) and Molen De Valk (The Falcon Tower Mill).

Leiden Breathes Science

No other city has supplied the world with so many scientists. Nobel Prize winners Pieter Zeeman, Hendrik Lorentz, Willem Einthoven and Heike Kamerling Onnes (-273°). Clusius (first tulip), Hugo de Groot (bookcase), Herman Boerhaave (physician), Thorbecke (constitution), Einstein (theory of relativity)… were all from Leiden.

The Festival of Festivals

No other festival attracts as many people as the Relief of Leiden (Leidens Ontzet). Every October 3 marks Leiden's relief from a siege laid by the Spanish in 1574, and the city is full of celebrating Leideners, young and old, as well as visitors. But other festivals such as the Lakenfeesten (Summer Festival), Leiden Marathon, Culinary Festival and Leiden Jazz and Blues Week also provide for a lot of hustle and bustle and fun in Leiden's city center.
The historic housefronts in Leiden are peppered with a modern atmosphere of stores, terraces and nightlife, the atmosphere of Leideners with their distinct Burgundian slant. The cultural historical ambience is now the décor of a pleasant contemporary existence where the visitor is heartily welcomed and is sure to make plenty of discoveries.

Wall Poems

Leiden features 101 beautiful wall poems. The Wall Poems website  provides all the information you need about the lovely texts that have been written on many facades in Leiden's city center.