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Welcome to Key City: Leiden from Pilgrims to Painters
Verified by:
FREETOUR.com
Provided by:
Holly Quinones
Duration
1h 30min
Meeting point
Molen de Valk
Languages
English
From €0
Tip based
Free Booking. Free Cancellation.
No fixed price — pay what you feel the tour is worth.
Overview
We will meet in the heart of Leiden, and a true landmark of the Netherlands, at the base of the central windmill. Our tour takes you through centrum, the shopping and market district, through the oldest University in the Netherlands, and through the quiet streets and hidden courtyards where the pilgrims planned their trip to the new world, after fleeing England.
In the 1600s, a single tulip bulb sold for the price of a canal house. The flower that started the famous tulip mania? It was planted right here in Leiden.
This walking tour follows a trail that takes you to that spot at the Hortus Botanicus and through the streets where Rembrandt grew up, sketched his earliest works, and became the painter who would define the Dutch Golden Age.
Along the way, you will hear how Leiden's canals were built as moats to stop invaders and how those Invaders impacted the unique Leiden accent you'll still hear today. You'll understand why poems cover the city walls instead of graffiti, and how a group of English refugees, called the pilgrims, sheltered here before sailing, with nine future US Presidents among their descendants.
In the 1600s, a single tulip bulb sold for the price of a canal house. The flower that started the famous tulip mania? It was planted right here in Leiden.
This walking tour follows a trail that takes you to that spot at the Hortus Botanicus and through the streets where Rembrandt grew up, sketched his earliest works, and became the painter who would define the Dutch Golden Age.
Along the way, you will hear how Leiden's canals were built as moats to stop invaders and how those Invaders impacted the unique Leiden accent you'll still hear today. You'll understand why poems cover the city walls instead of graffiti, and how a group of English refugees, called the pilgrims, sheltered here before sailing, with nine future US Presidents among their descendants.
Tour Conditions
Accessibility
Suitable for people with reduced mobility
Minimum Attendees
No minimum attendees
Children
Suitable for families with children
Extra Fees
No additional cost
Pets
Pet-friendly
Read more
Our Guides
Holly
On arrival
We will meet at Leiden's most central windmill, Molen De Valk at Molenwerf 1, 2312 BZ Leiden, a 5 minute walk from central station. Our guides will have a blue umbrella and will be a minimum of 10 minutes early for every tour.
- Please BOOK in advance. Sometimes groups are small. If you do not book and there are no other bookings, the tour will not be done.
- If you do not know whether you will come or you change your plans, please cancel the booking
Things to note
As the Dutch say, "we're not sugar!" So the tour operates rain or shine.
Free Cancellation
You are free to cancel a booking anytime. We kindly remind you to cancel bookings you cannot arrive for. Being reported as absent decreases your customer level points and the benefits you can enjoy.
Tours Organized by Holly Quinones
Leiden Night Tour: Canals, Cafes & Quieter Corners of Key City
1h 30min
7:00 PM
From €5.00
