Leiden, Netherlands Walking tour 4K. September 25, 2022.
The city of Leiden is located on the river Old Rhine in the province of South Holland. 120 thousand people live in it. The Old Town is perfectly preserved here, which occupies the 2nd place in terms of area in the Netherlands. The density of museums, protected buildings, ancient monuments here is amazing: there are about 3,000 such objects per 26 km of urban territory. The first mention of Leiden dates back to the year 922 - at that time it was the possession of the Bishop of Utrecht. In the 12th century, Leiden Castle was built at the confluence of two branches of the Rhine. Today it is the oldest architectural monument of the city. Many buildings of the 16th-17th centuries have survived to this day. During the Hundred Years' War, Leiden grew with refugees and for a long time developed through trade and weaving. In the 16th century it became known as a center of book printing. For the brave defense of Leiden during the war between Holland and Spain in 1574, the Prince of Orange gave the city permission to open a university. This university, one of the oldest in Europe, is perhaps the main value and attraction of the city. In terms of the number of canals, Leiden in the Netherlands is second only to Amsterdam. There are 28 km of "water roads". World famous artists such as Lucas van Leyden, Jan Steen and Rembrandt lived here.