Leiden - Holland's undiscovered gem

Leiden is one of the Netherlands' most enchanting, friendly and overlooked cities, offering travellers a chance to unwind, shop and see another side to Dutch culture in the historic city.

Located close to Amsterdam, The Hague and Haarlem, Leiden is best-known for being home to one of Europe's oldest universities, founded in 1575 by the country's founding father William of Orange.

The highly-respected university is still going today, and its famous alumni include the painter Rembrandt (who was also born there), Basic Instinct film director Paul Verhoeven and the country's monarch, Queen Beatrix. Scientist Albert Einstein also held the post of 'extraordinary professor' there for over 25 years.

Though not as fast-paced and chaotic as Amsterdam, Leiden's young students keep the city lively, often seen working in the local shops, bars and restaurants as well as relaxing by the canals and riding past on their bikes.

It is very easy to get around Leiden on foot, but holidaymakers who like taking to the water can take one of the many different tours, which range from an hour-long Rembrandt themed ride for five euros, to companies that hire row-boats, canoes, motor-boats and pedal-boats if you prefer to have a go at navigating yourself.

Be warned though, Leiden's rich kids and sports-team heroes are not so interested in getting a fast car as much as their very own motorboat, and noisy drinking sessions while cruising the canals are not uncommon.

One of the best days to see the city is on a Saturday thanks to the huge market that takes over the city.

As well as traders selling textiles, bikes and antiques, the market has an amazing range of foods, which vary from stalls selling exotic south-east-Asian ingredients, to very high quality fish, cheese, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

One of the busiest stalls on the market is the fishmonger, where crowds gather to eat the super-fresh raw herring - a typical street food on many Dutch markets, and usually eaten in a hotdog bun.

The less adventurous may prefer to go to the stall selling delicious rotisserie chicken, or try out many of the lunch options in the nearby café bars. One of the cheapest and tastiest options on most menus is the cheese toasty, which can be ordered plain, with ham, or fresh tomatoes.

For those with a sweet tooth, the freshly made cinnamon-spiced chewy wafers are also well worth trying.

Alongside the market there are also a number of other shopping options. As well as a department store, the shops by the market sell a wide variety of products, ranging from CDs and records to high-quality teas from all over world.

However, one of the city's best shops is Dille and Kamille, a kind of top quality mini-Ikea, selling kitchen and home accessories at very reasonable prices. The Leiden branch is one of 15 stores across the Low Countries.

For more information on accommodation in Leiden see www.hollandrijnland.nl or www.holland.com

Travel options to The Netherlands from the UK include rail and sail, a train and ferry service departing from London Liverpool Street, which starts from £25 each way. For more information see www.dutchflyer.co.uk

Flights to Amsterdam with Easyjet, leaving from London Stansted start from around £50 return. For more information see www.easyjet.com

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