is one of the oldest and most picturesque towns
in the Netherlands. It lies in Zuid-Holland
on the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), which flows quietly
through the town like a canal.
the Spanish and was liberated October 3, 1574
by William The Silent. In recognition of
the town’s heroic resistance to the Spanish,
the town was granted a choice between
four year’s exemption from taxation
or the foundation of a University.
They chose the University!
painters, including Lucas van Leyden, Rembrandt, Jan Steen,
& Gerard Dou. In addition to the University (est. 1575),
the nation’s oldest, there are a
number of research institutions in the town.
There are also a number of important museums, including the
Rijksmuseum van Oudheiden (Natl Museum of Antiquities)
and the Rijksmuseum van Volkenkunde
(Natl Museaum of Ethnology), just to name a few.
Leiden has many canals that run through
and around the city. Many cafe’s, restaurants,
bars, market’s & many shops on several shopping streets
are located in the city, and Amsterdam is only
about 30 minutes NE of this energetic city.
It is a dorp (village) just outside of Leiden.
I suppose, in America, it would be called a suburb.
It is nestled right in between Leiden and Den Hague,
it is very quaint and the people tend to be very friendly.
This use to be the main street, but now Schoolstraat is the main street.
The red dot is on the roof of our apartment building.
