About Leiden

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Welcome to Leiden, city of discoveries

Leiden is the home of host Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden is also the city of the internationally renowned Leiden University and one of the largest bioscience clusters in Europe.

Historical Leiden

In Leiden you can take a walk surrounded by 800 years of visible history. The City of Discoveries is home to the oldest university of the Netherlands. In addition the city is famous for its rich history and old city centre, with its canals, city gates, bridges, windmills, a castle, an observatory, the botanical gardens, weavers’ homes, almshouses, two large late gothic churches and several historical edifices. 

Discover what Marilyn Monroe and President Obama have in common and get acquainted with the history of the Pilgrims in Leiden. The Pilgrims were refugees from England who were persecuted for their faith around 1600. They chose the city of Leiden, an affluent city famous for its tolerant environment and freedom of religion. But why did they eventually leave Leiden after all, receiving official permission from the British crown to settle in the New World?

Special offers

Want to know more? Check this website and see what Leiden has to offer! Especially for conference attendees, Leiden has special offers called Delegate Deals. Find out more about the Leiden Delegate Deals.

Hello Holland also offers two evening activities in and around Leiden, a dinner at the beach on 23 October and a boat trip through the canals of Leiden with dinner on 24 October. See the offers.