Leiden

Leiden - an international city on the canals in Holland

Leiden is located on the Old Rhine River in the province of South Holland. 120 thousand people live in it. The density of museums, guarded buildings, ancient monuments here is amazing: about 3,000 such objects fall on the 26 km of the city territory. Leiden is one of the best places for those who like to learn new things and are interested in antiquity.The first mention of this city dates back to the X century. It was a small village on the lands of the Utrecht bishop. Two centuries later, a castle was built here. During the centennial war, Leiden grew at the expense of refugees and for a long time developed through trade and weaving. In the XVI century, it became known as a center of printing. For the brave defense of Leiden during the Dutch war with Spain in 1574, the Prince of Orange gave the city permission to open a university. This university, one of the oldest in Europe, is perhaps the main value and attraction of the city.

By the number of channels Leiden in the Netherlands is second only to Amsterdam. There are 28 km of “water roads”. A boat trip is a must for tourists, because many of the canals are similar to full-flowing rivers. The largest canal of the city is Rapenburg. If you are more interested in visiting attractions, then know: on Sundays, admission to everywhere is free.

The main attractions Poems on the walls (Wall Poems of Leiden) Walking along the streets of the Dutch city of Leiden, you will find poems by famous poets on the walls. Leiden is the only city in the world where poems are written in murals. This “fashion” was instituted in 1992 at the initiative of the Tegen Beeld Cultural Foundation.

Russian poetry is presented with dignity: the works of Tsvetaeva, Khlebnikov, Blok. If you set out to see the street, street lamp, pharmacy on the Night mural, then you are at the corner of Roodenburgerstraat and Thorbeckestraat. If you want to read the famous “Leningrad” of Mandelstam, then go to Haagweg, 29.Museum-mill "Falcon" (Molen museum de Valk) The Falcon Mill (Molen museum de Valk) is such a landmark that it is impossible not to notice it. It rises above the canal at Tweede Binnenvestgracht 1. Of the 19 windmills that have ever been in Leiden, Sokolinaya is better preserved than others.

Inside the conical structure there are five floors, of which three were once the miller's house. Climbing a steep wooden staircase to the very top, you can see stunning views of the city. And most importantly, you will learn about mill craft and old flour milling “technologies”.

The family name of the family holding the Molenmuseum de Valk was Van Rijn. This famous surname, which also belonged to Rembrandt, is very common in the city of Leiden and in Holland as a whole. But the millers were not relatives of the painter. In 1911, the next heir to the family left his father’s craft and began to organize the museum. The mill is still operational: if you happen to have a bag of grain with you, you can grind it.

Museum of Ethnology (Museum Volkenkunde) The Museum of Ethnology has a very valuable and rich collection. An important landmark in itself of Leiden and the Netherlands, it was opened at the direction of the King of Holland Willem I in 1837. This is one of the oldest ethnological collections in the world and part of the National Museum of World Culture. Museum Volkenkunde is ten collections (in places of origin) from Africa, Greenland, the Americas, China, Oceania, Korea and Japan, and other regions.

In each of the collection - thousands of exhibits, from artifacts of a thousand years ago to household items. In total, the collection has 240 thousand various material objects and 500 thousand audiovisual exhibits.