|
|
 |
| |
|
Home > Travel Europe > Europe Destinations > Leiden
Leiden
Europe is one of the five inhabited traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the southeast by the waterways adjoining the Mediterranean to and including the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains. On the east, Europe is divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains and by the Caspian Sea. Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area and third-largest continent after Asia and Africa in population.
Leiden is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in The Netherlands. It forms a single urban area with Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, with 254,000 inhabitants. It is located on the Old Rhine, close to the cities of The Hague and Haarlem. In 2005, it had a population of 118,423 inhabitants living within an area 23.16 square kilometers.
Leiden is an old city, there was a Roman fortress in Leiden in the 4th century. Leiden's medieval name was Leithon, and it was governed until 1420 by burgraves, the representatives of the courts of Holland. It had received city rights in 1266. The two branches of the Old Rhine, which enter Leiden on the east, unite in the centre of the town. The town intersected by numerous small and sombre canals with tree-bordered quays. On the west side of the town, the Hortus Botanicus and other gardens extend along the old Singel, or outer canal. At the strategically important junction of the two arms of the Old Rhine stands the old castle De Burcht, a circular tower built on an earthen mound. The chief of Leiden's numerous churches are the Hooglandsche Kerk or the church of St Pancras, built in the 15th century and the Pieterskerk or the 14th century Church of St Peter. Other fine examples of his work in Leiden are De Lakenhal, in which the municipal museum is located, and the Bibliotheca Thysiana.
As everyone is welcome to the 34 remarkably diverse and exciting countries of the European Travel Commission, where you will open the door to all the treasures Europe has to offer, and eliminate the boundaries between you and the never-ending journey that is Europe, enjoy the experience.
Everything you need to know about Traveling Europe is here at JustTravelEurope.com
Permission is granted to reproduce this article as long as the above resource paragraph is left intact with active links.
Back to Europe Destinations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|