Have you ever visited the city of Leiden? Whether you have or haven’t, you might be interested to know that they have a number of city walks that you can follow. Not only do these walks provide you with interesting information about the city, they are also an enjoyable way to explore Leiden.

Leiden Loop (Leidse Loper) – This walk brings Leiden’s history to life. It also takes you past tempting terraces, mesmerizing museums and seductive shops.

Rembrandt Trail – Follow in young Rembradt’s footsteps. The Rembrandt trail takes you past all the authentic Rambrandt locations in Leiden city centre.

The Almshouses Walk – Leiden has thirty-five courts of almshouses in total, each an idyllic location where time seems to stand still and the hubbub of the city seems miles away.

The Leiden Pilgrim Tour – This walk takes you past the places associated with the Pilgrim Father’s stay in Leiden.

The Wall Poem Walk – There are more than a hundred wonderfully designed mural poems located throughout Leiden. This walk takes you past twenty-five of these poems.

A wide choice of themes are available, also in English. You can buy the Leiden city walks at the Visitor Centre Leiden. If cycling is more your hobby, then Leiden also has you covered. From their website:

As well as the city centre, the area around Leiden also has a lot to offer. Cycling is the ideal mode of transport for discovering the region, and there are many different cycle routes starting in Leiden. The following are a few ideas for places to visit.

Photo Credit: Holland Tourism

The dunes
Leiden is just ten kilometres from the North Sea coast. You can enjoy an exhilarating cycle ride in the dune area with its varied landscape; the tops of the dunes even reach a height of 25 metres in some parts! There are also attractive seaside resorts like Katwijk and Noordwijk to call in at on the way.

The Bulb Region
From Leiden it is a short cycle ride to the Bulb Region, where in spring time you can see vast panoramas of colourful bulbfields in full bloom. You can combine your cycle ride with a visit to the Keukenhof garden. Even outside the bulb season, the area is well worth a visit.

The Kaag lakes and polders
A few kilometres outside Leiden you will find an area of polders and lakes, known in Dutch as the Kagerplassen. The region is famous for its varied landscape; it has large stretches of water with peat meadows, or polders, in between. The Kaag lakes are natural lakes, edged with ragged shorelines. There are many impressive windmills to see in the area.

What is your favourite place in the city of Leiden?