So, what's there to do in Leiden, Holland? Fortunately, I've been there once before at an IntelliCAD conference, and so have some familiarity with the area.
Here are things to do in town:
- Old downtown Leiden is largely a pedestrian mall with limited vehicle access. It is surrounded and interlaced with canals, naturally enough. It is a 30-minute walk from the hotel that's hosting the ODA World Conference, although the hotel now has a free shuttle bus that takes you to the main train station, which is about 10 minutes from the edge of the old downtown. Lots of shopping plus a number of historical sites.
- Castle on the hill in the center of town that was the focus of the Spanish siege that gave Leiden its sad name.
- Leiden is a university town, and the uni is across the street from the hotel. A friend got his PhD there, and said that upon graduation you crowd into a small white-walled room and sign your name.
- Churches and windmills, of course. Some are closed; others cost money to enter.
- Birthplace of Rembrandt and so you can see his childhood home and place of study.
- Staging ground for the Pilgrims, who escaped England, stayed in Leiden for some years, and then did the Mayflower thing to Plymouth USA.
- For a restaurant in Leiden, I recommend Jill's Brasserie, which is cheaper than Jill's Restaurant across the street. Good food and great atmosphere.
I recommend bringing along a GPS with European maps.
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