De Waag

The old renaissance façade facing Breestraat is dating from 1597. A newer building lying behind this façade (facing Nieuwe Rijn) was built to replace the older one, destroyed in a fire in 1929. The grand staircase on the Breestraat side is often the backdrop for wedding photos. On the Breestraat side, there is also the “proclamation chair”, a small staircase leading up to a raised platform against a blank wall. In the days before newspapers, television, or the internet, the city council would use this platform to make important announcements, such as ordinances, warnings, or sentences.

A concert hall. The building in rare for the Netherlands Neo-Renaissance style is dating back to 1891.

It was the home office of the first water management body in the Netherlands. It is now a meetings venue.

An old branch of the Rhine River is little more than a city canal here. Historically, this waterway is what gave the area its importance, first as a Roman border, then during the Golden Age as a trade route. Nowadays, river traffic doesn't use this branch and the river just serves to fill the city's canals with water. The area between the Oude Rijn and Nieuwe Rijn is one of the most undisturbed bits of Leiden - go here if you like walking along canals without getting run over by shoppers. On the other side of the city centre (Weddesteeg, Galgewater) is the place where the canals recombine - this is one of the most beautiful spots in Leiden, with a windmill, the old city gate, a small park, and a wooden bridge over the river (see also the image at the head of this article).

An old shell keep dated back to 11th century. This elevated borough is freely accessible and right in the heart of Leiden. After climbing the stairways you can walk around and enjoy the magnificent views of Leiden from above.

It’s a bridge over the Nieuwe Rijn. The bridge dates back to 1642 and it was used for corn trade. For this very reason it was covered in 1834.