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Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, Princess of Éboli, was imprisoned for six months in the tower.
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Rococo staircase to the musicians’s gallery.
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All the Netherlands Leiden

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Leiden

46 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Leiden, Netherlands

Updated June 27, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Leiden

Leiden, Netherlands

Museum Boerhaave

A former plague hospital turned medical museum.
Leiden’s Floating Christmas Market.

Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden's Floating Christmas Market

A market built atop boats is one of the few floating holiday markets in Europe.
Hortus Botanicus Leiden

Leiden, Netherlands

Hortus Botanicus Leiden

A 'living museum' in Leiden, the oldest of its kind in the Netherlands.
The Hidden Eschers of Leiden

Leiden, Netherlands

The Hidden Eschers of Leiden

Tucked away in the Leiden city hall are a group of works by famed artist MC Escher.
The world’s second-oldest observatory in all its glory

Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden Observatory

Devious political maneuvering and four ancient, working telescopes are central to the world's second-oldest observatory.
Homunculus Loxodontus

Leiden, Netherlands

'Zhdun' (Homunculus Loxodontus)

This Dutch art piece became a Russian icon.
Temple of Taffeh.

Leiden, Netherlands

Temple of Taffeh

An ancient Egyptian temple sits within a modern European museum.
Einstein Equation.

Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden’s Wall Formulae

Science meets wall art to highlight the beauty of famous mathematical equations.
See All 46 Things To Do in Leiden

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Leiden

A runny-yolked egg is the crowing glory to a ham-and-cheese pancake.

Leiden, Netherlands

Oudt Leyden

This institution has been serving up some of the best pancakes in the Netherlands for over a century.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Leiden, Netherlands

A
46
Science 10
History 6
Universities 5
Collections 5
Einstein 5
Hidden 4
History & Culture 4
Architecture 4
Physics 4
Memorials 4

Leiden Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. CoolCrab
    40
  2. RottenHead
    1
  3. Rachel
    1
  4. WHALEN
    1
  5. Renate
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Leiden.

Places Edited

  1. CoolCrab
    37
  2. jschrlmr
    5
  3. thomasvanderkruis
    4
  4. Vololona
    3
  5. Rachel
    3

Places Visited

  1. CoolCrab
    45
  2. Renate
    35
  3. hrnick
    30
  4. spellicaan
    28
  5. butch
    27

Recent Leiden Activity

  • igaechaust332

    wants to go to Oudt Leyden

    about 21 hours ago
  • igaechaust332

    wants to go to The Old Leiden Belltower

    about 21 hours ago
  • igaechaust332

    has been to Museum Depot

    about 21 hours ago
  • igaechaust332

    has been to Anatomisch Museum Leiden

    about 21 hours ago
  • igaechaust332

    wants to go to Anatomisch Museum Leiden

    about 21 hours ago

Stories About Leiden

A quarantine sign in front of a tulip field in the Netherlands.

How a Long-Planned Pandemic Exhibit Adapted to COVID-19

A Dutch science museum was set to showcase the horrors of contagion. Then came coronavirus.
by Keely Sullivan
December 8, 2020

Lists Featuring Leiden

The House of the Temple.
Statue of George Washington

Novus Ordo Seclorum: 14 Places to Unearth Masonic Secrets

Your best bets for gaining insight into the real history of Freemasonry.

14

Including Zedekiah's Cave, Masonic Lodge of the Andaz Hotel, and House of the Temple

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