Page 256 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

254  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

7 Leiden
* 119,000. £ @ n Stationsweg
41 (071-516 600). ( Wed, Sat.
∑ leiden.nl
Leiden is a prosperous town
that dates back to Roman times.
Its famous university is the
oldest in the Netherlands,
founded in 1575 by William of
Orange. Created in 1587, the
university’s botanical garden,
the Hortus Botanicus der
Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, is
still open to the public. Hortus Botanicus, the tranquil botanical gardens of Leiden University
One of Leiden’s main attrac-
tions is the Rijksmuseum van E Rijksmuseum van Oudheden dining hall of Count Floris V, is
Oudheden (National Museum Rapenburg 28. Tel 071-5163 163. Open open to the public when
of Antiquities). Established in Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1, Apr 27, Oct 3, parliament is not in session.
1818, the museum houses an Dec 25. & 7 - = ∑ rmo.nl An outstanding collection
outstanding collection of E Museum Volkenkunde of works by Dutch Masters
Egyptian artifacts, including the Steenstraat 1. Tel 071-5168 800. Open Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer,
1st-century AD Temple of Taffeh. Tue–Sun. Closed Jan 1, Apr 27, May 5, and Jan Steen is assembled
There are also displays of textiles, Oct 3, Dec 25. & = 7 ∑ mv.nl in the Royal Picture Gallery
musical instruments, Etruscan at the Mauritshuis. More Dutch
bronze-work, and fragments of 8 The Hague Golden Age paintings are on
Roman mosaics and frescoes. view at the Museum Bredius
The magnificent Gothic * 497,000. £ @ n Spui 68 (070- and the Galerij Prins Willem V.
Pieterskerk was built in the 361 8860). ( Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat. The Haags Gemeente­
15th century. Its interior is ∑ denhaag.com museum has an applied-arts
rather austere, but there is section that includes the
a splendid organ (1642), The political capital of the world’s largest collection of
enclosed in gilded woodwork. Netherlands, The Hague (Den paintings by De Stijl (see p251)
Dating back to 1640, the old Haag or ’s-Gravenhage) is home artist Piet Mondrian.
Lakenhal (Cloth Hall) now houses to prestigious insti tutions, such Formerly called Het Oude
the Stedelijk Museum De as the Dutch parliament and the Hof (the Old Court), the Paleis
Lakenhal, with exhibitions of Inter national Court of Justice. Noordeinde is a splendid
art and furniture from the 16th When The Hague became 17th-century palace built in
century onward. The pride of the the seat of government in the Classical style. It is the office
collection is Lucas van Leyden’s 1586, it was a small town built of King Willem-Alexander.
Renaissance triptych, The Last around the castle of the counts
Judgment (1526–7). Leiden also of Holland. That same castle, P Ridderzaal
has an excellent ethnological much rebuilt, stands at the Binnenhof 8a. Tel 070-757 0200.
museum, the Museum Volken­ heart of the city, and forms Open guided tours only; book via
kunde, which has exhibits from part of the Binnenhof, where website. Closed public hols. & 8
many countries and hosts today’s parliament sits. The fairy- ∑ prodemos.nl
events on traditions, rituals, and tale, Gothic Ridderzaal (Hall of E Mauritshuis
practises of other cultures. the Knights), the 13th-century Korte Vijverberg 8. Tel 070-302 3456.
Open daily. Closed Jan 1, Dec 25. &
8 - = 7 ∑ mauritshuis.nl
E Galerij Prins Willem V
Buitenhof 33. Tel 070-302 3456.
Open Tue–Sun. &
∑ galerijprinswillemv.nl
Environs
Only a 15-minute tram ride
from the center of Den Haag,
Scheveningen has clean, sandy
beaches and good seafood
restaurants. The resort also has
a Sea Life Center and Muzee, a
small museum of marine-biology
The Binnenhof, home of the Dutch parliament, The Hague and local-history exhibits.
For hotels and restaurants see p260 and p261

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