It's been almost 3 years since I have been staying in the Netherlands so I think this period isn't considered a temporary or short-term period. I had to meet someone in Leiden, one of the cities in the Netherlands this weekend. I have never been to Leiden before so I thought to use this opportunity as a weekend getaway. It was a short, 1 hour meeting; in a cafe near Leiden central station so I had plenty of time to stroll around the city. Before going to Leiden, I did some research about the city and found out about the Christmas/ Winter market in Leiden. So, today I am going to give you a tour of that winter market as well as a glimpse of a magical night in Leiden.
Leiden City is known as a student city among dutch society because a lot of leading and well-known universities are located in Leiden. Located in the province of South Holland, this city has offered beautiful old centuries of architecture to tourists. One of the oldest universities in the Netherlands is located here. If you open the map of Leiden, you will see the locations of several museums (around 13 museums) and sculptures. Also, you can take an unforgettable canal cruise trip or stroll along the canals while discovering romantic alleys and beautiful sculptures.
Leiden, Netherlands
From Amsterdam, direct trains are available to Leiden and it takes around 40-50 minutes to reach Leiden Central Station depending on the destination. So, after my appointment, I had plenty of time to explore the city. Well, I didn't choose to visit any kind of museum. To be honest, I am not really a fan of exploring the museums so instead of seeing specific locations, I decided to visit the winter Christmas market. Here is the worst part. Leiden is a large city and I was walking following the Christmas market location. On my way, I spent some time near the canal and explored some shops. Meanwhile, rain started and instead of waiting, I decided to continue my walk in the rain. Because in the Netherlands, rain and windy weather is normal. I didn't notice that my Google Maps was not working properly and instead of showing a shortcut route, it was malfunctioning. Why!! Because my phone is not waterproof and my display was not working and at one point, my phone completely stopped working...🤣
The rain was pouring heavily and my phone was not working properly so what can be done? To make my unstable situation stable, I took shelter in front of a shop and started smoking. I am a chain smoker and when this kind of situation happens, my brain stops working unless I smoke...
I didn't want to spoil my mood even though my intrusive thoughts were saying a lot of things to me because I figured out I was already lost. Instead of taking this situation negatively, I decided to walk around more after the rain stopped. I saw the port area, city gates, and bridges and sat near the port area. It was a nice experience...
Finally, after 2 hours, I had found the Christmas market location.
Kerstmarkt - Leiden, Netherlands
The Netherlands is not famous or known for its Christmas Market like Germany. Most of the markets here are for the locals and they maintain a very specific schedule for the opening hour. Weekends are perfect for visiting these markets. I was not expecting such extraordinary Christmas markets because I knew, they were not going to be like Christmas Markets in Germany and Belgium.
The location is called Hooglandse Kerkgracht where this market is located. The theme of this market was winter village so from far away I saw beautiful small wooden cottages more looked like chalets. Hooglandse Kerkgracht is basically a street and this market is called Nostalgische kerstmarkt. Beautiful Hooglandse Kerk Church and Lutherse Kerk Leiden are located on this street.
The street itself was beautiful. Most of the Dutch cities' street layouts are the same, they have a specific character and represent Dutch architecture prominently. Even though I have been to similar streets many times, I still enjoy walking on such streets. There is always something new to discover.
The winter village was cute, with only a few shops and a very small market. It's not actually a Christmas Market, it was more like a Winter Market. To me, the wooden chalets stood out the most and I found them cute and attractive. It felt like I was in a small village.
I support small businesses and there were a few shops that were quite interesting to me. The first shop was the Chinese Tea Shop. This shop was selling handcrafted Chinese tea. I learned about Chinese tea from a YouTuber; she is a famous Chinese content creator from Yunnan Province, China. She was the one who showcased hand-crafted Chinese tea and that's how I know about Chinese Tea. So, when I went to the shop my curiosity increased, and found some familiar tea like wild white and Snow chrysanthemum tea. If you have never tried this Chinese tea, I suggest you try this tea, they are soothing and very relaxing...
 |  |  |
|---|
The second shop that caught my eye was called Tuinkadootjes. These animals are all metal handmade decorations. At first, I was very curious and then realized that these beautiful handmade animal decors are for outdoor, garden decorations. Not many people were interested in such decorations because they were specific niche decors and if you don't have an appropriate place to keep them, they won't look good. The decors were gorgeous though...
 |  |
|---|
The cafe area was really crowded, I couldn't even stand there because it was so loud and noisy. It was Saturday evening so people were there with their friends and family. A loner like me didn't find a corner to fit in there.
 |  |  |
|---|
 |  |  |
|---|
Another shop I discovered was this pet shop. It was selling handmade pet collars and harnesses. Perfect gift for a furry friend in this Christmas season and they were actually beautiful. I have their business card so I will order a dog collar for my dog Gigi.
 |  |  |
|---|
 |  |  |
|---|
 |  |  |
|---|
There was nothing much to see because it was a small winter market but I discovered a lot. I have been to Christmas markets in Germany Belgium and this market was nothing compared to that but I saw a few unique things that I have never seen before.
Leiden city looks magical in the evening. A large Christmas tree was located near the canal, the center of the city. There was an ice skating area and food stalls also. I enjoyed the view from the bridge of the canal...
 |  |  |
|---|
I wasn't expecting anything nice but in the end, the evening turned out to be Magical... I will go back to Leiden again for more...
Love
Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
Find me on:
The author captures all images used...