Leiden is a beautiful city in South Holland. With beautiful canals and also the oldest university in the Netherlands, Leiden is worth exploring. Rent a boat in Leiden discover the beautiful city and its surroundings.
28 kilometres of glorious canals and 88 bridges span Rembrandt's home town: Leiden. Like a petit Amsterdam, Leiden sprouts up from the water in instantly recognisable red brick, tall gables and flower-filled hanging baskets. Boats are everywhere in Leiden, floating atop the canals of the medieval city centre, a pleasure to explore by water, and the lakes, embraced by the lush North-Holland countryside coloured by tulips. Hire a boat on De Rijn in the historic centre and sail to the iconic Rembrandt Bridge, the striking observatory and the charming Molen de Put, a delightful example of one of the Netherlands' most emblematic sights (the windmill!).
All kinds of boats, including canoes and flat bottom canal boats, are available for rental on Leiden's canals. Small electric boats and cabin cruisers can be hired without a license, and there are various skippered tours of the city, some with onboard food and drink, and perfect to see the sights with a sprinkle of local knowledge from your skipper.
Quaysides with mooring loops are available for moorings in most locations, but the city is small enough to effectively *loop* all of its sights in a few hours on a short tour. For larger vessels, there are yachting marinas in De Kaag, and for anyone staying in a cabin cruiser or their own boat, De Poort, on the outskirts of the city, allows overnight moorings.
Leiden's enchanting old town is one of the Netherlands' finest and its long canals, accentuated by trees and alfresco restaurants, are second only to Amsterdam in terms of length. Leiden's main sights, which include windmills, the green spaces of Singelpark, old red brick warehouses and ornate university campuses, as full of history as knowledge (Einstein taught at the University of Leiden), are breathtaking to behold and easy to explore in less than a day. A boat rental in Leiden makes seeing the attractions of the old city a pleasure, especially if it's eye-candy that you're looking for. Be sure to sail under the 88 bridges stitched into Leiden's canals, paying particular attention to the 12th-century Visbrug (fish bridge) and the delightful Koornbrug (grain bridge), which was covered in the 19th century to protect the precious grain stored there.
A slightly more languorous trip from Leiden to De Kaag is as equally pleasurable by boat, taking in the scenic Kaag Lakes, dotted with islands or *polders,* and drained by windmills. From De Kaag, it's possible to sail to Lisserbroek along the Lisserdijk canal (or catch a bus or train from Leiden), and from here it's just a short journey to the stunning rainbow-coloured gardens of Keukenhof. Each year the vast, colourful gardens are open to visitors between March and May to witness, by walking trails, bike or boat, the blooming of millions of flowers: Dutch tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and an encyclopedic collection of orchids displayed inside a pavilion
King's Day in Leiden is a little less raucous than in Amsterdam, but amongst the canals, you'll find flea and curio markets, and music festivals along the Nieuwe Rijn and in front of the iconic De Valk windmill. The Relief of Leiden (Leidens Ontzet) event is unique to Leiden and commemorates the Spanish siege, and subsequent relief in 1574, with two days of fairs, markets, and parties.
Most of the boat rentals in Leiden are confined to the stunning, antique canals of the old town, but a boat rental in Kaag will open up even more routes into the sweeping landscapes of Zuid-Holland.
The historic heart of the city is a perfect place to rent a boat, whether on leafy Rapenburg lined with 18th-century Gentleman's Houses or bustling De Rijn and its waterside restaurants. Moorings margin the sides of the canals, interspersed with boat bars and busy streets. And sightseeing routes crisscross the old town, taking in stunning townhouses, beautiful bridges, the renaissance tower of the city hall, pretty windmills and hundreds of years of Dutch history... as seen from its canals.
The attractive countryside of De Kaag (a small village on an island named Kagereiland in the Kager Lakes) lies to the north of Leiden and while it's visitable by a pleasant boat ride from the city in just a couple of hours, it makes an equally good starting point from which to explore the countryside that surrounds Leiden.
Just to the east of Leiden, the hamlet of Roelofarendsveen sits tucked close to the vast Braassemermeer lake and is a popular spot for canoeing and sailing. And there are several marinas as well as a small village centre with a charming lift bridge.
The busy canals of central Leiden lend themselves best to small electric motorboats and convivial lounge boats built for celebrations, while convenient cabin cruises (with onboard amenities) and yachts are great options for exploring the lakes.
Leiden has a large collection of repurposed boats (tugs, lifeboats etc.,) that are perfect for boating around the city's canals. Most have been retrofitted with an eco-friendly electric motor for silent operation and serene exploration and can accommodate larger groups. Many, due to their size.
Cabin cruisers can accommodate small groups, couples and families with onboard beds and bathrooms making them ideal for extended trips through the lakes and towns of The Netherlands.
Loungeboats, while less popular than in larger cities, are a great way to explore Leiden's tree-lined canals, with larger versions finished with fixed seating and enough space for plenty of celebratory food and drink.
While not suitable for the old town, sailing yachts are available on the lakes at De Kaag and Braassemermeer, and often have cabins with enough space for a small family or group to spend a night or two.
For small pleasure boats, you'll likely never need a boating license. But a boating license is necessary if you plan on renting a boat that is longer than 15m (some larger group rentals do surpass this so check first) and can exceed a speed of 20 kilometres an hour.
Lees hier het verhaal van Peter, eigenaar van de Fluisterboot in Leiden. Hij vertelt over zijn ideale vaartocht, de hoogtepunten van het varen op de Kaag, en waarom jij een boot zou moeten huren in Leiden!
Avg. read time: 3 minutes
Naast binnenlandse favorieten Amsterdam en Friesland, buitenlandse toppers als de Griekse kustplaatsen en de wonderen van de Adriatische Zee, zijn er een aantal vaargebieden binnen onze landsgrenzen die wat ons betreft iets meer aandacht verdienen.
Avg. read time: 2 minutes
