Best things to do in Leiden

Leiden's Unmissable Treasures

Leiden’s historical landscape is defined by its 11th-century shell keep, the Burcht, and the Hortus Botanicus, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. The city’s academic and religious heritage is preserved in the Gothic Pieterskerk and Hooglandse Kerk, alongside the 17th-century Bibliotheca Thysiana. As a major museum center, Leiden hosts the National Museum of Antiquities, the ethnographic Museum Volkenkunde, and the interactive Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Architectural landmarks like the Renaissance-style City Hall and the Zijlpoort gate reflect its Dutch Golden Age prominence.