Beste lokale studenten hotspots in: Leiden

Leiden is officieel de oudste studentenstad in Nederland, met de eerste universiteit (1575). Leiden kan met recht claimen dé studentenhoofdstad van Nederland te zijn. Tijd voor een lokale tour!

Deze blog is geschreven door een van onze internationale teamleden en daarom in het Engels!

The Netherlands has beautiful cities to study and live. In this series we highlight different cities and their local student hotspots (also interesting if you're not a student:)). They're selected by our own local team members!

Introduce our local promoter: Wouter

Hello, I am Wouter. I grew up in Zaandam, a small city above Amsterdam. I started studying in Leiden in 2017 where I did my bachelor's in Biology and now I'm doing my master's. I focus on microbiology and microtechnology (i.e., vaccine development).

How did you become part of Hospi Housing?

I checked the university vacancy site where I found Hospi Housing. I had a talk with Daan, one of the founders, and I became enthusiastic right away! I started with local promotion work and it became more diverse and interesting along the way. The intakes with new hosts are really fun!

How would you describe Leiden?

Smaller and quieter version of Amsterdam. It's exactly Amsterdam, but on a smaller scale. I really enjoy it, but it's definitely a student city. It's fun during your student years, after that, I would say Leiden is too small. It's very busy during the week, all cafes are full with students, but much quieter on the weekends. A lot of students go back home to visit family.

What are some of the best places to study in the city?

I usually study somewhere at the university. There are nice locations on campus. There's also a lot of nice coffee bars in town where you can study.

And how about the best places to enjoy a nice sunny day?

The nicest and not so busy in the summer is De Burcht, an old castle in the center of the city. Not every student knows it. There is also Plantsoen park: the perfect place to sit down, take some beers and order a pizza with your friends for a nice evening.

What about a good night out?

For example, Next student bar. Only students are allowed in during the week. It's always nice since everyone is around the same age and part of the student life! Also club Hifi. It's only open two days a week and is run by a student fraternity, but is open to any student and a beer is only 1.10 euros. It's a very nice deal. Besides that, there is café de Kroeg. It's close to the station and is full of students, as well as locals. In case you prefer a mix with an older crowd. Wibar is the best place for house and techno parties, but it's located quite far from the city.

Any restaurant recommendations?

I work at one, it's called restaurant PUUR. It's a very nice restaurant in a small alley, so you really have to know about it. They give very nice discounts online, you can get a full dinner for about 17 euros. Another good hotspot is called La Bota, I believe that every Dutch student knows about it. A good option for both students and locals, it's very nice and cheap food.

Any museums to explore?

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave is a very nice museum focused on science. For example, there is a lot about Antoni van Leeuwenhoek who first invented the microscope, plus about the autonomy of the humans. My favorite is the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, which is focused on animals, since I am a biologist. There is a big collection of extinct animals, a lot of research about it and workshops. Often you're in a safari in Africa in one room and the next room you're in the deep sea.

What about shopping?

We have a street called Haarlemmerstraat. Every store is there, we do not have many more areas for shopping besides that.

Any last recommendations?

Every Wednesday night there is a student party for international students, organized by international students at Einstein bar. It's very easy to become friends with international students there! Also, in the summertime, you should go to the beach. It's only a 30 minute bike ride or 15 minutes by bus.

What last piece of advice would you give to a new student?

The housing crisis in Leiden is quite problematic. Start looking early, as well as look for housing in other cities like The Hague. It's only 10 minutes by train! And of course, sign up for Hospi Housing;)