Our favourites in Leiden
Bar Lokaal
Bar Lokaal is a bar and bistro. A place where you can have a drink, eat extensively and everything in between. They have a very surprising menu. Don’t like cauliflower? Well, if you taste the cauliflower from Bar Lokaal, you do! Our favorites? Shakshuka, roasted cauliflower and the Fancy Nancy. It is a great place in the heart of the center, opposite to the Hooglandse church.
Address: Hartesteeg 13, Leiden
Telephone: 071-8884949
www.barlokaal.nl
Canal Park
The historic center of Leiden is demarcated by the canals. Recently, there is a green city park for miles along the canals. Pass historical and cultural buildings, ancient trees, windmills, museums and gates with a valuable story. You may not like everything, but it is special! Do not forget to pick up a cup of coffee or to have a great lunch at Tabú restaurant.
Location: around the centre of Leiden
www.singelpark.nl
City bakery Water en Bloem
The goal of Water en Bloem is to make the tastiest and healthiest bread. With the best, sustainable ingredients. They like to experiment with sustainable ancient grains from the Netherlands. What is special about the products is that everything is done by hand, and that there is a lot of time and attention for the bread that is made.
Address: Pieterskerk-Choorsteeg 26, Leiden
Telephone: 071-8881345
www.waterenbloem.nl
De Burcht
The castle of Leiden is one of the oldest surviving examples of a castle in the Netherlands. The structure is located in the center of Leiden, where the two arms of the Rhine meet. The beautiful gate, the meter-high stairs to the castle, the park around it and the fantastic view are worth a visit!
Address: Van der Sterrepad 5, Leiden
De markt
Fruits and vegetables, fish, flowers, bread and delicacies from all over the world… You will find it at the Leiden market. On Wednesdays and Saturdays you will find an extensive commodity market on the quays of the Botermarkt, Vismarkt, Aalmarkt, Koornbeurssteeg and Nieuwe Rijn.
Location: Nieuwe Rijn
Mamie Gourmande
Mamie Gourmande is a traditional French bakery in the center of Leiden. They bake delicious French breads and other delicacies in their own oven six days a week. You can contact them for any occasion: whether you fancy sweet or savory, pastry or bread. Our favorites: macarons, tartelette au citron nature, tartelette à la rhubarbe and petit bleu!
Address: Gangetje 14, Leiden
Telephone: 071-532 6198
www.mamie-gourmande.nl
De Droomfabriek
Our own shop cannot be missed in this list of favorites! We are very happy to sell beds and storage systems from, among others, Auping, Avek, Tempur, Swissflex, Caccaro and Lundia. Our shop used to be located on the Haarlemmerstraat; exactly where the apartments are now! Do you recognize the bed? That is, like all beds in Downtown, a bed from Avek in Friesland!
Address: Hoge Rijndijk 278, Leiden
Telephone: 071-5898858
www.droomfabriek.com
The Leyden cookie
The floating cake factory is located in the Blauwpoortshaven. Here the original Leyden cookie is baked, in different variants. Around 1600, the local elite enjoyed the ‘Leyden kanteling’. This name quickly changed to ‘Leyden kletskop’. The current Leyden cookie is made according to a recipe from 1602 that has been perfected by the well known pastry chefs of top rated restaurant IDD.
Address: Blauwpoortshaven 7, Leiden
Museums
No other city in the Netherlands has so many fantastic museums within walking distance of each other. They offer a surprising range of nature, art and culture. Boerhaave, de Lakenhal, Corpus and Naturalis are the most famous, but the Young Rembrandt Studio and the Pilgrim museum are also worth a visit!
Location: all around Leiden
3 October
October 3, also known as Leiden’s relief, is THE party in Leiden. We celebrate the liberation of the Spaniards in 1574. The festival consists of many traditions that go far back: the mini coral, the taptoo, the reveille, the serving of herring and white bread, the coral, the parade, the goods market, the fair and the fireworks.
Location: the centre of Leiden
www.3october.nl
Goeie Mie Gin
‘Good Mie’ went down in history as ‘The Leyden poisoner’. She is still in the Guinness Book of Records as the greatest poisoner of all time. This horrific history is bottled in an arsenic-free, organic blue gin. Do you dare to taste Goeie Mie Gin or do you even dare to go to the experience center? Dare to have a drink with MIE?
Address: Boommarkt 23, Leiden
Telephone: 071-2036150
www.goeiemiegin.com