Discover 6 Beautiful Nature Spots in Leiden
Spring has started again! A good reason to go outside and experience nature. In Leiden there is a wide range of parks and other beautiful nature destinations Here you can read about the 6 most beautiful nature spots in Leiden.
1. Spot Unique Plants in the Hortus
The Hortus Botanicus Leiden is the green plant treasury of Leiden. For more than four centuries, valuable, admired, and convincing collections have been made in this beautiful garden. The special Japanese Garden and the Victoria Greenhouse are definitely worth a visit.
The Hortus is also a nice place to study or relax with a book. In the Hortus Grand Café you can enjoy a cup of coffee, a cake, or lunch, made with ingredients from the garden.
2. Relax in the Leidse Hout
The Leidse Hout is one of the many city parks in Leiden. The park is about a ten-minute walk from Leiden Central Station. In the Leidse Hout, you'll find playing fields, a duck pond, a bandstand, and an open-air theater.
It's advisable to relax at Theehuis de Leidse Hout after a walk through the park. There's a terrace, a large lawn, and a deer park.
3. Picnicking in the Plantsoen
The Plantsoen is perhaps the most beautiful city park in Leiden. The park has a perfect location along the Zoeterwoudsesingel, making it wonderful to relax on the grass fields on the waterfront when the weather is nice. Lie down in the grass or take a seat at the many picnic tables. The asphalted paths lead you through the park past the beautiful monumental trees.
4. Learn about the History of Leiden in the Van der Werffpark
In the middle of the Van der Werff Park is a statue of Mayor Van der Werff, one of the great heroes during the Relief of Leiden in 1574. Around the statue is a mosaic with the coat of arms of Leiden. The reliefs on the sides of the pedestal tell the story of Leiden's Relief. In the adjacent café Kamerlingh you can enjoy a delicious cup of tea with a snack.
5. Admire the Leidse Canals in the Singelpark
The Singelpark includes a collection of parks located along the outer canals of the old city center. This park is the longest in the Netherlands: no less than 6.5 km of greenery!
When you walk through the Singelpark, you'll also pass through the Rembrandtpark. The Rembrandt Park is divided into a northern and a southern part. In the southern part, you'll find many fruit trees, beeches, and chestnuts and on the north side you will find a memorial stone on the Weddesteeg. Painter Rembrandt van Rijn was born here in 1606.
6. Feast Your Eyes on Cronesteyn Park
Polderpark Cronesteyn is not only the largest park in Leiden, but it also has an enormous diversity of plants and animals. You'll find, among other things, a swamp garden, butterfly meadows, an old forest estate, naturally managed meadows, lots of water, and a forest plantation. The park is ideally suited for spotting special birds. So don't forget to take your binoculars when you walk around Cronesteyn.
Cronesteyn also has a care farm, a campsite, and a water playground: a nice tip for children! At the restaurant 'The Garden of the Blacksmith' you can enjoy delicious organic delicacies.
