Photos: Aelbert Cuyp, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Erik Zachte, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Aelbert Cuyp, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Erik Zachte, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where two rivers meet, a live walk to the old fortress
Your local guide
Bente van Leeuwen
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Highlights
- A fortress mound where two rivers meet
- The exact point that decided a city's shape
- The city's grandest canal, lined with old houses
- University buildings mixed with merchant homes
- A geography lesson before anything else
About this tour
This session starts at a circular medieval fortress mound built at the exact point where two branches of the Rhine meet, then follows the city's grandest canal away from it. You see the view from the top of the mound and then the canal itself, lined with university buildings and old merchant houses. It is the clearest way to understand why the city sits exactly where it does.
We climb the mound slowly so the geography has time to make sense before I start explaining it, then walk a stretch of the canal below. I take questions about either the fortress or the canal as they come.
It suits anyone who likes a city's shape explained through its geography rather than just its buildings. It works well as the very first session before exploring further.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Leiden before heading out.
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De Burcht 21 min
You climb with me to the top of a circular medieval fortress mound built where the Old and New Rhine meet, and I explain why this exact spot decided where the whole city grew from.
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Rapenburg Canal 21 min
The camera follows the city's grandest canal, lined with university buildings and merchant houses, and I point out how the water level here is managed slightly differently than in Amsterdam.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Leiden: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Leidse kaas and Pieterswijk, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Leiden, showing you De Burcht and Rapenburg Canal live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I climb the mound and walk the canal live.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Tue 27 Oct · 9 seats left From 21,00 €
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