Leiden Flights:
Flights to Leiden
Situated in the west of the Netherlands Leiden is a beautiful little city that features an attractive historic centre which is the second largest after Amsterdam. The historic architecture, windmills and riverside setting make Leiden a popular tourist destination.
There are no airports directly in Leiden, but the Rotterdam The Hague Airport (airport code: RTM) is only 22 kilometres away and serves all flights to Leiden. From Johannesburg, the only 1-stop flight is with BMI and it connects in London. Virgin Atlantic has transfers in Nairobi and London, and South African Airways goes another way altogether and stops in Munich and Hamburg. Another option is with Lufthansa. Their route takes you to Frankfurt and London. Most flights to Leiden are around 20 hours long.
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The Tourist Attractions of Leiden:
Leiden is said to have the Netherlands’ second largest historic city centre after Amsterdam so it’s full of charming old architecture along with a very good selection of museums too. The city is only around 20 kilometres from The Hague, and around 40 kilometres from Amsterdam so you could visit Leiden for a day trip, or stay in Leiden and visit The Hague and Amsterdam for day trips instead.
The Old Rhine
The Old Rhine river runs right through Leiden though it is narrow and acts more like a canal than a river. This does give it a peaceful air though, and makes this a popular place for walking and cycling away from some of the city centre crowds. There’s an area in between the old and the new Rhine that’s very nice, but one of the most scenic parts of Leiden is said to be where these two rivers converge again, and it’s here that some of Leiden’s landmarks are situated.
Leiden’s Fortifications
Because of the rivers running through Leiden it was important that the city was fortified and protected. Some of the old fortifications can still be seen here: Zijlpoort is one of the old city gates that was built in 1667, and this survives along with one other of the original eight city gates, Morspoort.
Hooglandse Kerk
Leiden has a number of attractive churches of which the Hooglandse Kerk is the most major. Perched on top of a small hill this church, also known as the Church of St Pancras, was started in 1377 when a much smaller wooden church was no longer adequate. The church was completed in 1415.
Molen de Valk
Another well known landmark in Leiden is the windmill, Molen de Valk. This historic windmill served as a flour mill and has now been preserved as a museum for all to enjoy. You can tour through all levels of the windmill, and the view from the top over Leiden is particularly popular.
When Should You Visit?:
June to September are the warmest months to visit Leiden when you can expect average highs of between 18 and 21C, though daily highs will usually rise several degrees higher than this. Make sure you bring an umbrella or raincoat whatever time of year you come as the weather can be wet here throughout the year. Winters are cool and wet, with an average high of 6C in January and February, so this isn’t a very good time to come.