41 Sights in Leiden, Netherlands (with Map and Images)
Here you can book tickets, guided tours and other activities in Leiden:
Tickets and guided tours on Viator*Here you can book free guided walking tours in Leiden:
Guided Free Walking Tours on Freetour*Explore interesting sights in Leiden, Netherlands. Click on a marker on the map to view details about it. Underneath is an overview of the sights with images. A total of 41 sights are available in Leiden, Netherlands.
List of cities in Netherlands Sightseeing Tours in Leiden
The Pieterskerk is a late-Gothic Dutch Protestant church in Leiden dedicated to Saint Peter. It is known today as the church of the Pilgrim Fathers, where the pastor John Robinson was buried. It is also the burial place of the scientist Willebrord Snellius.
2. Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
The Leiden American Pilgrim Museum is a small museum in the Dutch city of Leiden dedicated to the Pilgrim Fathers. These Separatists or English Dissenters were religious refugees who had fled England to Amsterdam in 1608 and moved to Leiden the next year. They lived and worked in that city for about 12 to 20 years. In 1620, their emigration began. They left Leiden by canal, going to Delfshaven where they embarked on the Speedwell, which took them to Southampton. But the Speedwell proved leaky and had to be sold, so they transferred to the Mayflower. The Mayflower undertook the famous voyage to New England in 1620 alone. In the 19th century the colonists' first harvest festival after their arrival at Plymouth Colony was identified as the origin of the annual Thanksgiving celebration in the United States.
3. Jeruzalemshof
The Jeruzalemhof is a courtyard on the former Cellebroersgracht, which since the damping in 1875 is the Kaiserstraat, in the city center of the Dutch city of Leiden. It is the oldest surviving courtyard in Leiden. It was founded on May 16, 1467 by Wouter IJsbrandszoon in honor of God and the twelve apostles on the occasion of his visit to the holy sepulchre in Jerusalem. Originally, the courtyard consisted of 13 houses that were intended for thirteen poor men, who honored, and the one of good syn vergaen. A possible wife was also allowed to live in, because then she could take care of her husband. If her husband died, she had to leave. The fact that a courtyard was intended for men and not for women was special, because that had never happened before in the Netherlands.
4. Sint Janshofje
The Sint Janshof is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden, the province of South Holland. The hofje is located on the Haarlemmerstraat. The Sint Janshof was founded in 1504 on behalf of Jan Stoop Christmas son and his wife Claertgen. The hofje was intended for neat people who had fallen ashore due to setbacks. The hofje consisted of seven houses for single women, six for couples, a regent room and a house that could be rented for the benefit of the Hofje. In 1565, the heirs of the founders handed over the courtyard to Mr. Geraert van der Laen, who instructed the new construction of the houses, the gatehouse and the Regentenkamer in the same year. After his sudden death, the name of the courtyard was changed to the Sint Jans or Der Laenhofje.
5. Samuel de Zee's hofje
Samuel de Zee's hof is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden. The courtyard was founded in 1723 for poor family members. The complex consists of 21 houses and is located on the Samuel de Zee's court. The entrance to the courtyard is located on the Doezastraat between house numbers 14 and 18 and contains the text: "Gives god only the honor for good dognie rich cousins and the nigten did Samuel de Zee this at sijn leeven stigten, 1723". After the entrance there is a gate with the text: "So was my sin: A yder talks after syn understanding ~ maer soo t not state to your pleasure blyft then buyten k can with myn gate your mouth not sluyten 1723 ~".
6. TOP Zoeterwoude
A Tourist Transfer Point (TOP) is a 'natural hub', where various cycling, boating, skating and walking routes start. Each TOP is recognizable by its landmark, a kind of obelisk is used in the east of the country, a grass neck in the Green Heart and a remarkably large information column in the Gooi & Vecht region and the Rivierenland region. At TOPs there are often also some seats, a bicycle rack and a signpost. TOPs in the Gooi & Vecht region are also always equipped with bicycle rental, catering, (free) toilets, an ANWB Bicycle Service Box and a VVV information point.
7. Barend van Namenhofje
Barend van Namenhof is a courtyard at Hoefstraat 12 in the Dutch city of Leiden. The courtyard was founded in 1730 by merchant Barend van Namen for reformed childless couples over fifty. The courtyard consists of 12 houses. Three courtyard houses were designed by W. C. Mulder. The court was rebuilt in 1788. In 1915 it was completely renovated at the expense of regent C. W. J. W. Pape. This gave it its rich, distinguished impression, which is why it was also called "villahof". The courtyard has a regent's room and has the status of a national monument.
8. Rodenburgermolen
The Rodenburgermolen in the Dutch city of Leiden is a polder mill built in 1704, which drained the Rodenburgerpolder. In 1893 the mill had to be rebuilt, when lightning struck and the mill burned out. During the rebuilding, cast iron wheels were used instead of the traditional wooden parts. The mill was in operation until 1953; in 1959 the interior was removed, with the exception of the cast iron top wheel and the curious catch, which is halfway between a block catch and a hoop catch. The paddle wheel was located about four meters away from the mill.
9. Schachtenhofje
The Schachenhof is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden, the province of South Holland. The hofje is located on the Middestste canal. The Schachenhof was founded in 1664 in the name of the orphan boy Theunis Jacobsz. Van der Schacht. His will stated that a courtyard with 12 houses had to be built on the middle canal. He demanded that residents aged 40 and older were allowed to live there for free and there was a preference for family members of Van der Schacht and residents who had grown up in the orphanage of Leiden, just like Van de Schacht.
10. Museum De Lakenhal
Museum De Lakenhal is the city museum of fine art and history in Leiden, Netherlands. One highlight is its collection of fijnschilder paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Just like the city, the museum combines a classical appearance with a contemporary character. The broad collection ranges from early works by Rembrandt van Rijn and Lucas van Leyden's Last Judgement to modern classics of De Stijl and artworks created by contemporary artists such as Claudy Jongstra, Atelier van Lieshout and many others.
11. Tevelingshofje
The Vevelinghofje is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden, the province of South Holland. The hofje is located on the Gedempte 4th Binnenvestgracht. The presentation was founded in 1655 and built in 1666, commissioned by the Leiden merchants Jacob and Charles Tevel. During the plague epidemic of 1655, Charles Tevel stated in his will that after his death Jacob had to build a courtyard with 12 houses for childless couples older than 20. Jacob and his wife later had this expanded to twenty houses.
12. Coninckshofje
coninckshof is one of the courts in Dutch cities. The court is located in the old vest 15. The court was established in 1773 and was founded by cecal coninck in 1777. It is partly located on the land of the former St. Nusula Temple. The court originally had six houses, but later expanded to seven. In 1861, there were four more houses. The Court is a national monument, which has been registered in the Register of Monuments since 1968. The court has a gate, a hard brick pump and a rainwater chamber.
13. Bethlehemshof
bethlehemshof is the court of the Dutch city. It was founded in 1630 and was handcrafted by a senior businessman, who also chose the name of the court. In 1701, the Baptists of this court joined the wooden stakes located on the living floor, but the board of directors remained separated. In 1811, for financial reasons, both courts merged in the name of bethlehem. In 1897, a part of life was equipped with a contemporary facade with a top floor. In 1978, the court was restored.
14. Oorlogsmonument
The war memorial in Voorschoten is a column from Eville to a design by sculptor Gra Rueb. This includes a plaque with an image of two angels with a wreath. The text on the column is: those who fell Henryc A. Adamsky Leendert Bouthoorn Franciscus C. H. Everstijn Teunis de Groot Frans W. Kusters Johannes M. Lamboo Abraham Limburg Willem van Mulligen Herman H. Schouten Johannes C. Wagtendonk Koenraad M. Wolleswinkel Evert Zuidmeer 1940–1945
15. Kapel van Onze Lieve Vrouw van de Rozenkrans
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is a modern, now traditionalist Catholic church in the Dutch city of Leiden. The church was built in 1961 by order of the Apostolic Society. The church, located on the Sumatrastraat in the Leiden district de Kooi, is a design by A. Dekker and P. van der Sterre and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The church is served by the Priestly Brotherhood of Saint Pius X, a traditional movement within the Catholic Church.
16. Naturalis Biodiversity Centre
Naturalis Biodiversity Center is a national museum of natural history and a research center on biodiversity in Leiden, Netherlands. It was named the European Museum of the Year 2021. Although its current name and organization are relatively recent, the history of Naturalis can be traced back to the early 1800s. Its collection includes approximately 42 million specimens, making it one of the largest natural history collections in the world.
17. Zelden van Passe
The Zelden van Passe is a polder mill just west of Zoeterwoude-Dorp, along the A4. The mill dates from 1642 and was built for the drainage of the Groote Westeindsche Polder on the bosom. Until 1952, the mill drained the polder. The mill has been in the possession of the Rijnlandse Molenstichting since 1962. The mill is grinding, but only grinds on a voluntary basis. In the mill there is an iron paddle wheel with a diameter of 5.90 m.
18. Hartebrugkerk
The Hartebrugkerk is a church in the Dutch city of Leiden. The church is part of the parish of saints Peter and Paul. The official name is our Lieve Vrouw immaculate. The church is named after the bridge with the same name at the time. Among the people of Leiden, the church is also known as the Coelijkerk, according to the last word of the Latin spell above the entrance, Hic Domus dei Est et Porta Coeli.
19. Groot Sionshof
The Groot Sionshof, or van Swietenhof, is a courtyard on the Sionsteeg in the city center of the Dutch city of Leiden. It was founded in 1480 by Hugo van Zwieten and Luydgaert Claesdochter van Bosschuyzen. In terms of foundation, it is the second oldest surviving courtyard in Leiden, but it is no longer on its original site: it was moved from the Papengracht to the Sionsteeg in 1668 due to dilapidation.
20. Moeder Godskerk
The Mother Godskerk is a former Roman Catholic Church on the Baron Schimmelpenninck van der Oyelaan 18 in Voorschoten. The church is on the draft heritage list for iconic buildings of the municipality of Voorschoten. The church was inaugurated in 1967 by the first bishop of Rotterdam, M. Jansen. She was closed in 2016, but in 2019 put into use again by Godcentre, a Pentecostal church.
21. Het Leids Wevershuis
Museum Het Leids Wevershuis consists of one of the last remaining "weavers' homes" (1560) in Leiden, Netherlands. The exterior, the large antique loom (1830) and the interior, are testimony of the once flourishing textile industry around Leiden, in particular during the 16th and 17th century, when many home weavers supplied the draper's guild with high quality woolen cloth.
22. Moskee Al Hijra
The Al Hijra Mosque is a mosque in the Dutch city of Leiden, which has been located at Rembrandtstraat 10 since about 1982. Because the building became too small for the Moroccan religious community, a new building was taken into use on the Ter Haarkade in 2018. The name Al Hijra or Al Hijra refers to the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622.
23. De Heesterboom
d'Heesterboom, also De Heesterboom, is a sawmill in the Dutch city of Leiden. He belongs to the Top 100 of the Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg. The mill is located at the Noordman timber trade on the Haagweg on a plot on the Oude Rijn/Galgewater. The mill has three saw windows. The middle window consists of a saw and shell window.
24. Sieboldhuis
Japan Museum SieboldHuis is a museum located at the Rapenburg (Leiden) in Leiden, Netherlands. It displays items that were collected by Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) between 1823 and 1829 during his stay at Dejima, the Dutch trade colony nearby Nagasaki in Japan. It also functions as a museum of Japanese culture.
25. Hooglandse Kerk
The Hooglandse Kerk is a Gothic church in Leiden. Its earliest parts date back to the last quarter of the fourteenth century. Most of the current structure dates from the fifteenth century. The brick church was dedicated to St. Pancras and today serves parishioners of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
26. Pieter Loridanshofje
Pieter Loridanshof is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden, at the Oude Varkenmarkt 1. The courtyard was founded in 1655 by Pieter Loridan and consists of an entrance pavilion with regent's room and 12 houses. In 1950 the folding house was restored. Since 1968 it has had the status of a national monument.
27. Paviljoenshof
The Paviljoenshof is a complex homes in the Dutch city of Leiden. The court can be reached by a gate between the Villa De Kroon and Café Eigenzorg café on Stationsweg, named to the client Arnold Kroon. The complex consists of 33 contiguous courtyard houses spread over 4 rows with a common inner garden.
28. Joseph Scaliger
Joseph Justus Scaliger was a French Calvinist religious leader and scholar, known for expanding the notion of classical history from Greek and Ancient Roman history to include Persian, Babylonian, Jewish and Ancient Egyptian history. He spent the last sixteen years of his life in the Netherlands.
29. Kasteel Cronesteyn
Cronesteyn Castle was a castle southeast of Leiden in Zoeterwoude, on the east side of the Roomburger Watering near Lammen. The castle was built around 1300 as a fortified farm. Nowadays it is located in the public polder park Cronesteyn and only the canal around the courtyard can be seen.
30. Jean Michelshofje
The Jean Michelhof, also called Jan Michielshof, is one of the 35 courtyards of the Dutch city of Leiden. The Hofje is located in the Pieterswijk directly opposite the Lokhorstkerk in Pieterskerkstraat 10-12. The Hofje was founded in 1687 by Catharina Geschier, widow of Jan Michielsz.
31. National Museum of Ethnology
The National Museum of Ethnology, is an ethnographic museum in the Netherlands located in the university city of Leiden. As of 2014, the museum, along with the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Africa Museum in Berg en Dal, together make up the National Museum of World Cultures.
Wikipedia: National Museum of Ethnology (Netherlands) (EN), Website
32. François Houttijnshof
François Houttijnshof is a courtyard in the Dutch city of Leiden. The courtyard is located at Hooigracht 81 and contains 9 houses. In 1736 it was decided to found the courtyard, the completion was a year later. It has a sober entrance and a stone with inscription 1737.
33. De Burcht
The Burcht van Leiden is an old shell keep in Leiden constructed in the 11th century. It is located at the spot where two tributaries of the Rhine come together, the Oude Rijn and the Nieuwe Rijn. The structure is on top of a motte, and is today a public park.
34. Evangelisch Lutherse kerk
Evangelical Lutheran Church is a church in the Dutch city of Leiden. The church is located at Hooglandse Kerkgracht 26. The building dates from 1618 and is therefore the oldest church building that was built for the Protestant service in the city.
35. Remonstrantse Broederschap Lokhorstkerk
The Lokhorstkerk is a religious building in the Pieterswijk in the city center of Leiden in the Dutch province of South Holland. The combined Mennonite and Remonstrant congregations hold their worship services there. It is a national monument.
36. Sint Annahof of Joostenpoort
The Sint Annahof or Joostenpoort is a courtyard on the Zegersteeg in the city center of the Dutch city of Leiden. The courtyard also has a (nicer) gate at the end of the Doelengracht, which is referred to there as the 5th Binnenvestgracht.
37. Groeneveld
The Groeneveldstichting is one of the youngest courtyards in the Dutch city of Leiden. The hofje is located on the Oude Vest near the Leidse Schouwburg. The hofje was founded in 1878 by Eduard Cornelis Groeneveld and built in 1882.
38. Morspoort
The Morspoort is the western city gate of Leiden, South Holland, the Netherlands, located on the Morssingel. The stone gate was erected in a manneric style in 1669 according to a design by the Leiden architect Willem van der Helm.
39. Meermansburg
The Meermansburg on the Oude Singel / Oude Vest is the largest court in the Dutch city of Leiden. It was founded in 1680 by Maerten Meerman and his wife Helena Verburgh. The name is a contraction of the surnames of the founders.
40. Dorpskerk
The Laurentiuskerk or Dorpskerk is a Protestant church at Dorpsstraat 17 in Zoeterwoude-Dorp, South Holland. Both the church building and the west tower were placed on the monument list as a national monument in 1968.
41. Klein Sionshofje of Weduwenhofje
Klein Sionshof is a courtyard at Schoolsteeg 1-5 in the Dutch city of Leiden, the province of South Holland. The Hofje has a sandstone gate, which was awarded by Fronton with inscription about the foundation.
Share
Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.