Rapenburg 25, built in 1654 is a considered one of the finest examples of the Dutch classical…read morestyle. As it once was home to Johannes Thysius, after his death it was preserved as library of his collected works. Thanks to Leiden University, publishers and printers such as the Elzevier family, flourished. Leiden was considered a city of books and those that were forbidden elsewhere in Europe were printed in Leiden including books by the Italian scientist Galileo and the French philosopher Descartes. Of note, Descartes lived at Rapenburg 23 in 1640.

Running through the heart of Utrecht, the Oude Gracht ('old canal') is the major artery of the…read morecity. It's lined with many shops at street level and bars and restaurants at the level below. It also hosts a weekly flower market on Saturday morning. Yes, it can get a tiny bit seedy at night with rowdy students ('bralapen') and it isn't always as clean as one would like, but this all adds to the charm. It's truly a wonderful place to hang out any time of day or year. The oude gracht was built in the 1100's by upgrading and taming a former branch of the River Rhine. The mooring level (accessible by steep steps from road level), where goods would be loaded and unloaded, gives access to deep tombs / caverns that extend below the road and under the shops above. In the old days used for storage, they have now mostly been transformed into bars and eateries. It's hard to miss the oude gracht when you're in Utrecht as many of the city's landmarks, including the Dom tower / church and various museums are located close by. Enjoy this place. It's awesome. But, be careful of bicyclists as you stroll around; you'll likely have your eyes on façades or the water below!

This sink is located inside of a university and not a museum! It's free to get in but you can be…read moreout of luck if there are classes held in the classroom that the sink is in. Fortunately we did not have this problem! To get in just ask the guard to see the 'Sitterzaal' and then go into the far back corner, it's completely worth it if you are an Einstein fan!

The Binnenhof is the political center of The Hague and the Netherlands at large, housing both the…read moreSenate and the House of Representatives, the office of the Prime Minister, and various other governmental entities. Although not directly tied to international entities such as the UN and the International Court of Justice, places like the Binnenhof confer the same air of solemn, regal authority upon even the most hapless tourist. It *feels* like a seat of power, in a way that many other capitol buildings do not, even back home in the States, because of its antiquity and careful preservation. There history of a nation is saturated in these 800 year old stones, each of which with its own tale to tell. Visitors are allowed to attend sessions of parliament, if they happen to be in session when tourists are wandering through. During our visit, there wasn't much in the way of legislative "action" going on at the time, so the grounds were mostly clear of crowds, political or otherwise, leaving us to wander the grounds freely and take in the gorgeous gothic architecture. Along with the adjacent Rijksmuseum de Gevangenpoort, the Mauritshuis, and several other intriguing sites encircling the Hofvijver, any student of history will find no lack of things to engage their curiosity in the area.

Note: This review applies only to non-Dutch speakers…read more I visited Binnenhof as part of a day-trip to The Hague. I opted for a guided tour via Prodemos, a third-party tour service, as they are (to my knowledge) the sole entity that can lead visitors into the Dutch First and Second Houses. These sorts of tours are rarely, if ever, truly riveting. If you've visited another national legislature, you know access to various spaces is generally limited and tour commentary can be pretty dry. Binnenhof both proves the rule and the exception--I only got to see two spaces within the complex not open to the anyone simply choosing to stroll through the courtyard (the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives; the Hall of Knights was closed during my visit). Limited access, however, only knocks one star off of the experience. I'm raising this three stars for non-Dutch speakers because of disparity between pre-recorded, non-Dutch audioguides and the commentary offered by the tour guide. I opted for the English audio guide and quickly found myself quite bored. My tour guide, on the other hand, was exciting and engaging--I could tell from watching the people on my tour. If you speak Dutch, this could easily be a good or even top-notch experience. As for everyone else, I don't think a paid visit to the complex is worth the cost or the boredom--just stroll through.

They have guides on different languages. Their list is pretty big. Inside you can find some…read moreinteresting artifacts which will tell you history about Leiden city and this place. Just 1 thing looks to us a bit strange that was a too warm inside. We've found that 250€ per day goes to keep this whole building warm. But we do not know why. Because another similar kerks in Netherlands is pretty cold inside in every season.

If there was one word to describe this historic site it would be ethereal. The space is fluid and…read morelight. Details on the floor, windows and walls will keep you here longer than expected. Enjoy.

magical & gorgeous & serene. this is the quieter of canals in Leiden. still, the boats do pass…read morethrough here as do the Leiden swans!

A beautiful building on a huge chunk of land surrounded by a towering metal fence with a guard…read moreshack by the gate. We couldn't go in, so we had to be happy with taking pictures from outside the fence. To the right of the gate is a small flower garden with rocks and/or stones from different countries, and an eternal flame (The World Peace Flame) burning in the center. What surprised me the most was that the court is located in a fairly nondescript neighborhood surrounded by Embassies and Consulates in very plain buildings...their only id was the flag of their country. The public can attend hearings on a first come/first serve basis after all delegates or parties to the hearing have been given seats. Presentations on the work of the court are available for groups of 10 to 70 people, but requests must be made on the Court's website: https://www.icj-cij.org/en/presentations-work-of-the-court I wouldn't say that this is a must see, but it was worth a quick stop, IMHO. 6/2020

Didn't enjoy the atmosphere. Service was awful. Very…read moreunsatisfied with my visit. Will not be returning anytime soon.