Roos' Leiden Reisgids

Roos
Roos' Leiden Reisgids

Buurten

Stroll along historic cobble stone streets & feel the 400 year old vibe of the houses.
Hooglandse Kerkgracht
Hooglandse Kerkgracht
Stroll along historic cobble stone streets & feel the 400 year old vibe of the houses.

Dining out

My personal favorites!
The Bishop, www.thebishop.nl/ My no1 recommendation for an evening's dining experience. Why: quality, class and great interior design while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. Nothing posh, good food, excellent recommendations. Leiden center, about 10 mins walk from my house.
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The Bishop
7-9 Middelweg
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The Bishop, www.thebishop.nl/ My no1 recommendation for an evening's dining experience. Why: quality, class and great interior design while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. Nothing posh, good food, excellent recommendations. Leiden center, about 10 mins walk from my house.
Dende: www.dende.nl Small scale quality place with good food, good crew, great location. Around the corner of Annies.
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Dende
5 Nieuwe Rijn
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Dende: www.dende.nl Small scale quality place with good food, good crew, great location. Around the corner of Annies.
Annies: www.annies.nu In summertime, their terrace is on a few floating pontoons in the heart of the old river Rhine. In wintertime, you’ll be cosy inside in Leiden’s only historic underground stone-arched restaurant. Its former name was Annie’s birthday, but the new owner changed that into Annie’s. Locals tend to maintain the ‘birthday’ to the name. A total favorite with everyone who enjoys a drink after work or study. Great relaxed place, happy student crew. Good price/quality menu.
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Annie's
1A Hoogstraat
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Annies: www.annies.nu In summertime, their terrace is on a few floating pontoons in the heart of the old river Rhine. In wintertime, you’ll be cosy inside in Leiden’s only historic underground stone-arched restaurant. Its former name was Annie’s birthday, but the new owner changed that into Annie’s. Locals tend to maintain the ‘birthday’ to the name. A total favorite with everyone who enjoys a drink after work or study. Great relaxed place, happy student crew. Good price/quality menu.
De Waag (transl ‘the weigh house’): https://waagleiden.nl/en/ I totally love the interior design. You’ll enter a building from the 1600s, that was used as a market place and for weighing of goods. However, because of the arched ceiling, it can be noisy. Walk in, listen for a moment, decide. Tip: you can also walk all the way to the back where there is a smaller scale section with a few tables.
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WAAG
21 Aalmarkt
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De Waag (transl ‘the weigh house’): https://waagleiden.nl/en/ I totally love the interior design. You’ll enter a building from the 1600s, that was used as a market place and for weighing of goods. However, because of the arched ceiling, it can be noisy. Walk in, listen for a moment, decide. Tip: you can also walk all the way to the back where there is a smaller scale section with a few tables.
Restaurant Just Meet www.just-meet.nl They state 'Steaks & wine', and that's their USP. However, the menu offers much more. Very nice atmosphere and interior design. Leiden center, about 20 mins walk from my house.
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Just Meet
18 Breestraat
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Restaurant Just Meet www.just-meet.nl They state 'Steaks & wine', and that's their USP. However, the menu offers much more. Very nice atmosphere and interior design. Leiden center, about 20 mins walk from my house.
Lunchroom Logica: www.lunchroomlogica.nl Open from 10.00-16.00 and the place to be for your vegan and organic lunch. Closed on Mo and Tue.
Cafe Restaurant Logica
11 Stille Rijn
Lunchroom Logica: www.lunchroomlogica.nl Open from 10.00-16.00 and the place to be for your vegan and organic lunch. Closed on Mo and Tue.
La Diva www.restaurantladiva.nl Small scale, excellent reviews. They work without a menu so the chef determines pretty much on a daily basis ingredients & menu. Choice between 4 or 5 courses. Of course, diet preferences are taken into account.
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Restaurant La Diva
23 Noordeinde
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La Diva www.restaurantladiva.nl Small scale, excellent reviews. They work without a menu so the chef determines pretty much on a daily basis ingredients & menu. Choice between 4 or 5 courses. Of course, diet preferences are taken into account.
Sabor, www.sabor-leiden.nl They state 'enjoy sharing' and that's what you do. Small bites on a wooden plank to share. Also somewhat smaller scale. Great interior design. A nice young crew that are just soo happy and enthusiastic about their menu en drinks. Great taste, great reviews. Leiden center, approx 20 mins walk.
Sabor
13 Kloksteeg
Sabor, www.sabor-leiden.nl They state 'enjoy sharing' and that's what you do. Small bites on a wooden plank to share. Also somewhat smaller scale. Great interior design. A nice young crew that are just soo happy and enthusiastic about their menu en drinks. Great taste, great reviews. Leiden center, approx 20 mins walk.

City/town information: beaches

Want to spend a day on the beach? Katwijk is the closest. 20 mins by bus. From Leiden central station, use the bus platform on the city side. Look for direction Katwijk. Most times they leave from Platform/Perron D, nr 431. Cost approx E2,20 pp. Stop at 'Vuurbaak' and enjoy! www.zomersbeachclub.nl: great cosy beach club, open yearround. Grand café https://zandkatwijk.nl/ also cosy and good.
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Katwijk aan zee
3 Sportlaan
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Want to spend a day on the beach? Katwijk is the closest. 20 mins by bus. From Leiden central station, use the bus platform on the city side. Look for direction Katwijk. Most times they leave from Platform/Perron D, nr 431. Cost approx E2,20 pp. Stop at 'Vuurbaak' and enjoy! www.zomersbeachclub.nl: great cosy beach club, open yearround. Grand café https://zandkatwijk.nl/ also cosy and good.
Great beach, same sand as Katwijk but some 10 kms north, more upscale and posh than Katwijk. Noordwijk beach history goes back to 1866, when a visit to the beach was for the wealthy only. Part of that air still lingers around. Dress up (or don't) and explore the chique hotels along the boulevard. Travel from Leiden central station in approx 25 mins to Noordwijk, stop at 'Huis ter Duinstraat' and walk 7 mins. However, they feature very nice and not too posh beach clubs/restaurants. Despite the general chique feel, from personal experience I like a few beach restaurants that are catering for all: www.zeemeeuw.com (‘seagull’). Nice beachy interior design, good food, experienced crew. https://www.beachclubo.nl/ Also a nice interior and good food/crew.
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Noordwijk
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Great beach, same sand as Katwijk but some 10 kms north, more upscale and posh than Katwijk. Noordwijk beach history goes back to 1866, when a visit to the beach was for the wealthy only. Part of that air still lingers around. Dress up (or don't) and explore the chique hotels along the boulevard. Travel from Leiden central station in approx 25 mins to Noordwijk, stop at 'Huis ter Duinstraat' and walk 7 mins. However, they feature very nice and not too posh beach clubs/restaurants. Despite the general chique feel, from personal experience I like a few beach restaurants that are catering for all: www.zeemeeuw.com (‘seagull’). Nice beachy interior design, good food, experienced crew. https://www.beachclubo.nl/ Also a nice interior and good food/crew.

Bezienswaardigheden

www.bierwinkel-leiden.nl If you are into special beers and whiskeys, visit the 'beer shop'. 650 beers and 325 whiskeys. Located in the historic city center near Hooglandse Kerk/church.
The Beer Store Leiden
9 Hartesteeg
www.bierwinkel-leiden.nl If you are into special beers and whiskeys, visit the 'beer shop'. 650 beers and 325 whiskeys. Located in the historic city center near Hooglandse Kerk/church.
https://www.visitleiden.nl/en/locations/2380897422/de-burcht De Burcht, or 'fortress', the highest point in the city center. In the old days it was used to overlook the river Rhine at the fork, and collect taxes from passing ships. Now, you have an excellent view. Free entrance, closes in the evening.
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Castello di Leida
5 Van der Sterrepad
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https://www.visitleiden.nl/en/locations/2380897422/de-burcht De Burcht, or 'fortress', the highest point in the city center. In the old days it was used to overlook the river Rhine at the fork, and collect taxes from passing ships. Now, you have an excellent view. Free entrance, closes in the evening.

Consigli per viaggiatori

Muoversi in zona

Use the app '9292' for all your public transport solutions

Enter current & future address, and the app (or website www.9292.nl) will give you all PT and itinerary. Note: it was established in 1992, thus the name.
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Use www.visitleiden.nl/en for the complete cultural agenda

What's on today in theaters, the city? Find the highlights, discover the culture, find city walks. Updated by the Leiden tourism office.
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Markets: on Wednesday and Saturday

The Saturday market is larger. Find your veggies, fresh fish, flowers, branded nuts, cheese... Located on Nieuwe Rijn/Botermarkt.
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Dutch railways: www.ns.nl

Or use the app 'NS', that is Nederlandse Spoorwegen/Dutch railways if you'd like to travel The Netherlands by train.
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Lots of free city walks in and around Leiden

Be sure to check out the stack of booklets I collected over the years. On or near the table.
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Leiden has 13 great musea

Some Leiden musea are known worldwide in their genre. The Museum of Antiquities features world class geological findings. Naturalis Biodiversity center features a 65 million year old T-Rex named 'Trix' by the Leiden people. Museum Boerhaave features the history of science and was awarded 'European Museum of the Year' in 2019. The list goes on! For an overview see ttps://www.visitleiden.nl/nl/cultuur/musea Note: in corona times, the website offers also virtual tours.
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Movie time! An overview all 3 theaters

See www.bioscopenleiden.nl for al the movies. The big Trianon runs mainstream movies, also in 3D. Lido is more into family movies. The small scale Kijkhuis is into art movies. Note: movies in The Netherlands are generally shown in their original language and subtitled in Dutch.