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As with many Dutch towns, Leiden is best explored on foot, and one can easily see the most important sights in a single day.  Start early to avoid the midday crowds and plan on strolling a couple of kilometres to see the best stuff.  There are walking tours available, costing between 20-80 euros per person, depending on size, time, and excursions. The only free English one is a two-hour tour beginning at the Beestenmarkt at 10 am every Saturday.  Perhaps a better option is to follow along with me, beginning at the train station.

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Exit the northwest side of the station and turn right.  At the end of the block on your right, walk under the train overpass and down Schuttersveld until you notice the Windmill Museum (Molen De Valk).  The nominal six-euro entrance fee is fair for a modest museum which can be enjoyed in less than an hour, including a visit to the top of the mill, which offers a spectacular view of the city.  You can well imagine it’s focus on Dutch history, engineering, and culture, so if that’s your passion this is a must-see; otherwise, ramble on.

 

Head south along the canal on the Kiekpad towards the modern, brick bridge.​  Just beyond this span, you’ll find the National Museum of Ethnology, which is a celebration of the artifacts of man from science, the arts, and daily life.  At 15 euros per ticket (less for kids & elderly), check their website first to see if it’s your thing, and allow a couple of hours to see it.

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Moving on, continue south past the museum on Binnenvestgracht through a leafy brick street to the Morchpoort, a picturesque city gate from the 1600s, which leads directly to the Morschbrug bridge – a perfect place for selfies.  Then turn right around and continue down Morsstraat, a narrow, Renaissance-era brick pathway lined with cute shops, relaxed cafes, and small businesses. After half a kilometre, you’ll find yourself on the Blauwpoortsbrug - a wide, open area featuring a beautiful harbour with docks, boats and restaurants.  It is here that you can take a lovely canal tour on the water, generally about 10 euros a head and well worth it if you have an hour.

 

Go across the Blauwpoorts bridge and make a hard right along the waterline going south on Prinsessekade for a minute and onto the Bostebrug, a featureless bridge that provides a great view of the waterways downtown.  Continue down the right-hand side of Kort Rapenbrug towards a split in the road at an old English pub you can’t miss.  Continue to the right side, striding along the famous Rapenburg Canal.

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The Rapenburg Gracht is a major attraction and perhaps the prettiest canal in Holland. Strolling past dozens of 17th & 18th century buildings is a delight for fans of architecture and history, and makes for great photo opportunities on the odd sunny day. 

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Not too far down on the left, consider crossing the small Doelen Bridge (Doelenbrug) to visit the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, established in 1818.  Adults pay 14 euros (w/audiotour), but offspring under 18 are free, making this a great value for a museum of this calibre.  The collection is primarily ancient artifacts from Egypt, Greece, and Rome, with some Asian, European, and local keepsakes as well.  It’s a large building, and you’ll need at least an hour to zip through, or two if you want the full experience. 

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After your visit, get back on the Doelenbrug to find the Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, dating from before the 16th century. It’s a nice visit, but the gardens are well hidden and difficult to find without these careful directions.

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From the Rijksmuseum, go back across the Doelenbrug, straight down Doelensteeg to number 12, where you take a hard left at the small canal.  Follow the waterway for a city block until you see the entrance to the gardens, clearly marked.  With both inside and outside displays, this landmark is a delight in early spring, late summer, and autumn – but not so much in winter.  Visits take about an hour and might include the nearby Old Leiden Observatory. Founded in 1633, this science and astronomy museum is a must for nerds, geeks and stargazers - but for the rest of us, the mixed reviews indicate better experiences elsewhere. 

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Reversing the earlier directions, return to the Rijksmuseum/Doelenbrug area on the Rapenburg canal and again walk down the right side.  You’ll soon reach the Academy Museum of History on the corner - with its library of rare books, old photographs, obscure maps and important papers from scientific reports dating back 400 years.  Again, a wonderful time if you’re a collector, a scientist, or a bibliophile, but perhaps not a stop for a typical family or romantic couple.

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Resume walking on down the Rapenbrug, you will soon reach another bridge, the Nonnenbrug. Cross it and continue straight ahead, down Kloksteeg for a bit, and you’ll soon see the spectacular Pieterskerk, Saint Peter’s Church.

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The cathedral is from about 1100, but over the last 900 years, the many additions, repairs and reconstructions have changed the building considerably, creating a complex and interesting past welcomed by history lovers.  For example, this was a pilgrim’s church, and many of the congregation left on the historic Mayflower ship as it began its voyage to America in 1620.  Later, Rembrandt and his relatives attended this church regularly and his family is still buried in front of the pulpit.

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Just across from the Pieterskerk, you’ll see a nondescript wooden door.  If you push it open, you’ll enter one of the two dozen publicly accessible ‘hofjes’ or courtyards of Leiden.  A generous benefactor allowed the poor to live in these enclaves during medieval times. Now they enchant visitors will lush gardens and adorable tiny houses.

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Around the far side of the church, try to find a narrow, pedestrian-only alleyway full of delightful shops, wonderful galleries and endearing cafes – this is Pieterskerk-Choorsteeg, the cutest street in Leiden. Take your time checking out all the little details of this charming path until you come out on Breestraat, a nice wide avenue and once a major tram route.

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You might be tempted by this busy shopping district, but stay the course and walk straight across to Maarsmansteeg, which is just a continuation of Pieterskerk-Choorsteeg. Another 100 yards or so and you’ll find yourself at an open area blocked by the narrow Nieuwe Rijn canal.  You can cross it on nearby Hoogstraat, and you’ll take a right at the next intersection by the ICI Paris XL.  This is the Oude Rijn canal and you should follow it for some way until you get to a small pedestrian bridge.  Skip the bridge and, a few yards later, take a right turn onto Van der Starrepad, a featureless alley that leads to something wonderful.

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Negotiating these tight walkways, you realize you are slowly circling something, and eventually, the hilltop Burcht van Leiden (Leiden Castle) reveals itself.  Built in the 11th century, the castle is now a public park after time as a military fortification. Aside from its long and compelling history, it offers 360-degree views of the city. Best of all, it’s free!                 .                                                                                                                          

 

Leave the fortress the way you came, but rather than retrace your steps, go right and continue down the twisting Starrepad until you come out at Brugsteeg, then go forward down this pathway another minute or two.  You will return to the Nieuwe Rijn canal and you want to follow it to your right, going north all the way to the ICI Paris XL you passed before.                                                                                                   

 

Now it’s time to head back to the station, so cross the small Sint Jansbrug (St. John’s Bridge) and travel the narrow Donkersteeg alleyway, past the McDonald's, and take a left on the big road.  This is Haarlemmerstraat, a touristy shopping area we’ll pass through for a 5-minute walk up to the now familiar Blue Port Bridge (Blauwpoortbrug) we saw before.  Instead of crossing the bridge, take a right on Turfmarkt towards the big windmill.  Keep moving towards that windmill in front of you on Nieuwe Beestenmarkt.  Run right past the molen on your right on Molenwerf, and soon you will see signs for the train station, less than 500 feet away. 

 

Of course, this three-hour tour doesn’t cover all the great things to do in Leiden, but the major sights are listed herein.  For more, check the internet, especially the tourist information site here.