We start at the edge of the old town, where the 'Morspoortgarage' parking lot and the historic 'Morspoort' city gate are located. We'll walk past the ethnographic “Weltmuseum” (World Museum) in the direction of the historic harbor in the “Oude Rijn” (Old Rhine), where we'll have a very nice view and also learn a lot about the world-famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who was born here. You'll hear the reason why a cute old Dutch house is painted pink. Next, we'll head to the most beautiful canal in the Netherlands, the 'Rapenburg'. And you'll get an answer to questions like: What did the German doctor and collector Philip Franz Von Siebold have to do with the Leiden Japan Museum? And what influence did he have on your garden? But also: what role did the Dutch royal family play in Leiden, the oldest university in the Netherlands, and in the Rapenburg? Where did the 'Royals' live, and where did one of them meet a partner, and in which old pub did one of them earn the reputation of 'Prince Pils'?
In the 'Academie Quarter', we'll arrive at the city's former main church, the 'Pieterskerk'. Here, you'll learn about two special groups of refugees: the Huguenots from France and the 'Pilgrim Fathers' from England, where they lived and went to church. You'll also learn about the connection between 7 American presidents and Leiden. Next, we'll head to the Latin school from the 1600s, where you can also have a picture of yourself painted for free. We'll also visit the studio where Rembrandt learned to paint. Then we'll head to the university building where famous professors made important discoveries and where Albert Einstein was often a guest professor. You'll hear all about the Eighty Years' War and major catastrophes in Leiden. From the historic town hall, with the longest Renaissance façade in the Netherlands, we'll walk to the old castle tower – the 'Burcht van Leiden' – from which we'll have a beautiful view over the city. We'll end the city tour here, in the middle of the city, where there are so many nice shops, cafés, restaurants, and terraces, and from where you can see the beautiful, lively city for yourself. Of course, you'll also get tips for sightseeing!