The Burcht of Leiden or Leidse Burcht is so amazing!! Its an old medieval castle (the info board…read moredates it to around 1150) and kudos to the city that it has been so remarkably persevered that you can still take a walk along the battlements!! Its also man-made hill, so be aware that its steep and there are a lots of stairs to climb to get to the top but once there, the view of Leiden and especially its church as well as other monuments is amazing. Also, for the unfamiliar tourist, its great that the city has been so thoughtful and that there are signposts along the battlement walls which point these monuments out. The fort itself is quite small and there are curving stairs that take you up to the battlements. Make sure you read the info-board about the well - fantastically hilarious and I also liked the quirky seats found in the interior courtyard, Reckon this is absolutely worth the visit! Go here when in Leiden, or even worth taking out of town visitors to this place, so they get to see more than just Amsterdam (and its a fairly quick 10-15 min walk from the Leiden central station)! Yelp 176/ 2018

Good place for free to see Leiden city from the hill. Just one thing which could to disappoint you…read morethat some nice view is closed by trees which grows near by.

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.

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

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!

Scheveningen is a beach resort in the Netherlands, easily reached by tram from the central train…read morestation in the Hague. There is a long clean beach where you can sunbathe, or the more adventurous can try out some of the watersports on offer. Also for the adventurous there is bungee jumping from the tower on the end of the pier. Behind the beach there is a Sea Life centre that is supposed to be good, although I haven't been there. There are lots of cafes and restaurants on the streets behind the beach, as well as quite a few nice ice cream shops. It is quite a touristy place but it's still a nice place to visit. If you are visiting Scheveningen over New Year then you can take part in the Nieuwjaarsduik (New Years Dive) on New Years Day , when there is a swim in the North Sea. In the summer there are weekly fireworks displays.

I love that beach. One of my favourite. If stay there dont forget to visit the fairy tale figures…read moreat the Boulevard. At the Boulevard you have a lot of nice restaurants and cocktailbars. In the summertime there is a fireworks at the pier each week.

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!

Japans Musuem Sieboldhuis exhibits is located on Leiden's Rapenburg in a historic Dutch house. You…read morewill find a beautiful collection of old and new art. We stopped in here to purchase a beatiful print of Mount Fuji. They have a wide collection of prints, books, jewelery, toys, and etc. They provide tours,lectures, workshops, film night, and treasure hunts for children.

This is a weird museum. It has a bit of everything- botanical samples, kimonos, prints, kitchen…read moreand table items, military equipment, and there's always a special exhibit (when we went it was Japanese packaging products.) It's very small, and if it's not free (free for those who hold a museum card) I'm not sure it's worth the money. If you have a museum card, by all means, check it out, If you don't like it, you can leave.