In 6 hours to see the ancient capital of the Netherlands: Delft + the homeland of the Great Rembrandt – Leiden

Leiden

Leiden appears in the pages of chronicles in 922. In the XII century, a castle (Burcht) was built here on the hill, around which a brisk trade was conducted.

Leiden is a canal city. The main of these channels is Rapenburg (Rapenburg), according to Leiden patriots - the most beautiful channel in the world.

During the Eighty Years' War, the city was besieged by the Spanish from May to October 1574. To lift the siege, the Dutch had to open the floodgates and flood the urban surroundings and peasants from nearby villages brought food supplies to the Leidens by boat. It happened on October 3. And according to tradition, in the morning of this day, barrels with herring and white bread are exhibited in front of the city hall.

Leiden is a typical example of a university town. It is the oldest university in the Netherlands, founded in 1575. In the seventeenth century, it was the largest center of Calvinist education in Europe; the names of Hugo Grotius, Jacob Arminius, Joseph Scaliger and Hermann Burgave are inextricably associated with it. Today, the university has about 14,000 students and 9 faculties.

In the city center, poems of poets in the original language are written on some walls, there are Russian ones: “Moimstikham” by Marina Tsvetaeva and “Night, street, lantern, pharmacy” by Alexander Blok.

delft

Famous for the beauty of its canals and the old houses reflected in their mirrors, Delft immediately recalls the beautiful white and blue faience, known throughout the world. Delft is often quite deservedly called “Dutch Faenza” (Italian city whose name means “faience”). The art of Delft ceramics is very ancient: in the XVII century. there were at least 30 factories. But this art came to Holland much earlier, in the XVI century, when many Italian masters moved to Holland and began to produce ceramic tiles. As soon as the business began to flourish, they adopted Dutch names and founded a school for the craft.

The famous “blue delft” was produced in the form of tiles for facing walls and tiled stoves and in the form of dining and decorative dishes. The peak of its heyday occurred in the XVIII century, but at the end of the century, English porcelain with printed drawings began to compete with Delft exclusively hand-painted; gradually many factories closed. Only in 1876, two clever entrepreneurs revived the factory serial production, called the Royal Manufactory of Delft porcelain.

Delft became the birthplace of two remarkable people: Hugo de Groot (or Hugo Grotius), a lawyer, diplomat, philosopher and poet, and the artist Jan Vermeer, whose paintings capture the peaceful, charming appearance of this city.

In its center is the Markt shopping area, attracting in summer evenings with bell-ringing concerts. On the square stands the Protestant church of Nieuwekerk, originally built of wood (1381), but converted in stone in 1384 and fully completed in 1496. The beautiful bell tower of the church, 109 m high, square at the base, octagonal at the top, is built of stone and brick. The interior, consisting of three naves separated by round columns, is covered with wooden vaults and illuminated by large windows.

Here is the tombstone of William of Orange Silent, the first "stathouder" of the United Provinces of the Netherlands of the XVI century, the father of Holland, who led the people to the struggle against Spanish rule and died on July 10, 1584 at the hands of the executioner of the Duke of Alba. The monument of Italian marble and Dinant stone was made in 1614-1620 by Hendrik de Keyser: at the feet of the lying prince is depicted his devoted dog, who died of hunger after the death of his master. Under the sarcophagus is a crypt where the remains of 40 members of the Orange-Nassau family are kept.

What comes in

• The cost of a guide.

What's not in

All additional expenses during excursions, such as:

• fare:
• train
• driverless car 50 EUR per hour
• Payment for tickets to museums, etc.

Useful information

Comfortable shoes (without heels) and an umbrella - in case of rain.

Notable places on the route

• Nieuwekerk or the New Church