City information
Leiden is home to the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in Leidse Pieterskerk on February 8, 1575, during the Eighty Years' War. William of Orange believed the Republic needed a university to educate good clergy and other skilled men. Since the revolt of the northern provinces against Spanish rule, Protestant students could no longer attend the university in Catholic Leuven. The university was likely a gift to Leiden for its resistance against the Spanish. William of Orange's letter to the States General about the founding is still in the university library.Leiden is a city of discovery, a city of the 17th century, the city of Rembrandt. And… still almost completely intact. With its many canals, idyllic bridges, small squares, floating terraces, and, not least, its dozens of courtyards, this is an ideal city for strolling.