Leiden, Netherlands

Welcome to Leiden, a charming city located in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. With a population of 119,713, Leiden is a typical university city, with university buildings scattered throughout the city and a bustling, vivid and international atmosphere. The city is one of Europe’s most prominent scientific centers for more than four centuries, with many important scientific discoveries made here, giving rise to Leiden’s motto: City of Discoveries. Leiden is home to Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands, and Leiden University Medical Center, with thirteen Nobel Prize winners. The city is also known for its rich cultural heritage, not only in science but also in the arts. One of the world’s most famous painters, Rembrandt, was born and educated in Leiden. Other famous Leiden painters include Lucas van Leyden, Jan van Goyen, and Jan Steen. Leiden was formed on an artificial hill at the confluence of the rivers Oude and Nieuwe Rijn and received city rights in 1266. The city played an important role in the Eighty Years War and was besieged from May until October 1574 by the Spanish. As a reward for the heroic defense of the previous year, the University of Leiden was founded by William I of Orange in 1575. Yearly on 3 October, the end of the siege is still celebrated in Leiden. The city’s biggest and most popular annual festival is celebrated on 3 October and is called simply 3 Oktober. The people of Leiden celebrate the end of the Spanish siege of 1574. It typically takes place over the course of two to three days and includes parades, a hutspot feast, historical reenactments, a funfair, and other events. Leiden has important functions as a shopping and trade center for communities around the city. The city also houses the Eurotransplant, the international organization responsible for the mediation and allocation of organ donation procedures in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. Leiden also houses the headquarters of Airbus, a global pan-European aerospace and defense corporation and a leading defense and military contractor worldwide. The two branches of the Oude Rijn, which enter Leiden on the east, unite in the center of the city. The city is further intersected by numerous small canals with tree-bordered quays. On the west side of the city, the Hortus Botanicus and other gardens extend along the old Singel, or outer canal. The Leidse Hout park, which contains a small deer park, lies on the northwest border with Oegstgeest. The Van der Werf Park is named after the mayor Pieter Adriaansz. van der Werff, who defended the city against the Spaniards in 1574. The city was beleaguered for months, and many died from famine. The open space for the park was formed by the accidental explosion of a ship loaded with gunpowder in 1807, which destroyed hundreds of houses, including that of the Elsevier family of printers.