Leiden

Living in Leiden

As home to the oldest university in the Netherlands, Leiden has a historic centre shaped in part by centuries of academic life, with narrow streets and canal-side housing close to the university buildings. The area around the station provides convenient access to both Amsterdam and The Hague by train, making Leiden a popular choice for commuters as well as students and academic staff. Merenwijk and Stevenshof, on the edges of the city, offer more spacious, later-built housing compared with the dense historic centre, often appealing to families. Leiden's position between several major cities means many residents weigh commute time against the calmer pace of a smaller city, and comparing neighbourhoods both close to and further from the centre is worthwhile depending on which matters more to you.