Historic buildings in Leiden

Historic Buildings of Leiden

Leiden’s architectural landscape features a dense collection of medieval fortifications, Renaissance civic buildings, and traditional Dutch mills. This list includes the 11th-century Burcht shell keep, the 17th-century Pesthuis, and the Renaissance-style City Hall. The region is also home to several functional and historic windmills, such as the Museum De Valk tower mill and the 18th-century 't Poeltje polder mill. Notable estates like Oud Poelgeest and the Oude Sterrewacht observatory highlight the city’s long-standing connection to scientific and academic history.

Historic Buildings of Leiden — Map

Johan Bakker / CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

A

The Castle of Leiden

The Burcht van Leiden is an old shell keep in Leiden constructed in the 11th century.

Xsandriel / CC BY-SA 4.0

B

Museum De Valk

De Valk is a tower mill and museum in Leiden, Netherlands.

Gerard Dukker / CC BY-SA 4.0

C

Oud Poelgeest

Oud Poelgeest is a castle in Oegstgeest, north of Leiden, that was the former home of the Dutch scientist Herman Boerhaave.

China Crisis / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Endegeest

A 17th-century castle in Oegstgeest, known for its classic Dutch architecture and surrounding parkland. It historically served as a psychiatric institution and is situated near the city border of Leiden.

Paap, C.A. / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Berbice

18th-century country estate in Voorschoten featuring a historic main house, an orangery, and extensive gardens. It is a preserved example of a rural retreat for the urban elite.

Vysotsky / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Leiden City Hall

Renaissance-style building featuring the longest Dutch Renaissance facade in the Netherlands. While much of the interior was destroyed by fire in 1929, the historic 16th-century front remains a prominent landmark.

Joop van Bilsen (ANEFO) / CC BY 4.0

G

Oude Sterrewacht

The oldest remaining university observatory in the world, built in 1860 by architect Henri Camp. It served as the astronomical center for Leiden University for over a century.

Tilanus / CC-BY-SA-3.0

H

Zilverfabriek

Historic industrial site formerly housing a silver factory, representing the region's 19th and 20th-century manufacturing heritage.

I

Pesthuis

Well-preserved 1661 brick building originally constructed as a plague hospital. It later served as a military hospital, prison, and natural history museum.

Quistnix / CC BY-SA 2.5

J

Zelden van Passe

Traditional 17th-century drainage mill located west of Zoeterwoude-Dorp. This polder mill helped manage water levels in the local agricultural fields.

Quistnix / CC BY-SA 2.5

K

Stadsmolen

Polder mill built in 1856 to drain the Stadspolder. It replaced an earlier mill and remains a notable example of 19th-century Dutch hydraulic engineering.

L

De Herder

1884 sawmill used for processing timber. It is one of the few remaining industrial mills of its kind in the Leiden area.

M

Maredijkmolen

Small wipmolen (hollow post mill) dating from 1735, used for draining the Maredijkpolder. It is characterized by its distinctive red-painted upper housing.

N

't Poeltje

Small polder mill built in 1787 in Warmond. It operated until 1924, draining the local polders into the nearby lakes.

O

NodeRabo

Modern utility tower.

P

Eschertoren

Modern architectural tower located in the Leiden central station district.

Other Lists

Leiden's Unmissable Treasures Leiden's Museum Treasures Leiden's Religious Sites Leiden's Gardens and Hofjes