Drew's Cannabis Information Site - Dutch coffeeshop guide

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Leiden is a reasonably-sized, busy little town about 30km south-west of Amsterdam. It takes about 35 minutes on the train and is therefore a good day trip: there's a lot to see and do. But it's also worth considering as a place to stay, as a change from Amsterdam. There is a big university here, so there's quite a lot going on, and at the same time (like all other Dutch towns) it's a rather more laid-back and civilised place than the capital. We spent Christmas 2002 here, and it was a very pleasant experience.

There are around 10 coffeeshops in the town. One important note though: all Leiden's coffeeshops open between the hours of 4 pm and 10 pm only. So far I have sampled two:

't Leidseplein

On the corner of Pieterskerkstraat and Diefsteeg.

D: This is just round the corner from the Pieterskerk, the second of Leiden's two massive churches (not the one pictured above, though it doesn't look a great deal different). 't Leidesplein is a clean, light and airy coffeeshop, clearly a popular place to score - but no-one seems to hang around very long afterwards. Perhaps that's because it's not the most comfortable of places, despite being perfectly tolerable, and having books and board games. Recommended for a drop in, but not for a long session. (Incidentally, the use of the name "Leidseplein" is not some cheap attempt to cash in on the name of one of Amsterdam's most famous gathering places - in fact it's that square that is named after Leiden, as it was the point the road from Leiden entered old Amsterdam. So now you know.)

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Coffeeshop Double AA

Nieuwe Beestenmarkt.

D: To find this coffeeshop, find either the Molenmuseeum (Windmill Museum), or the big square that is Beestenmarkt itself. Both are within 5 minutes' walk of Leiden's combined train/bus station, and Nieuwe Beestenmarkt is the wide street that connects the two. There are in fact two coffeeshops on it - the Paradise, opposite Double AA, doesn't look very welcoming though, being mostly dominated by a pool table with a few stools at one end. Reports are welcome, however. Anyway, Double AA itself is a very comfortable and decent place: nice wooden carved panels to stare blankly at when you're floating off somewhere, video games, decent staff, and all in all, a very good spot to while away an afternoon. Although there are other coffeeshops I've not visited yet in Leiden, I'd be surprised if any were much better than this one.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Go look round the Windmill Museum - just up the road from Coffeeshop Double AA. Having said that I wouldn't do this if you either suffer from vertigo, or have been smoking a lot beforehand.
If it's a nice day get on a bus and take the half-hour trip out to Katwijk-an-Zee, which is the nearest beach to Leiden. The best thing about Dutch beaches is that they're the one place in Holland you can amble around and not have to be constantly on the lookout for bicycles coming up behind you like silent assassins! What with the dunes and the general little-seaside-resort feeling of Katwijk it is quite one of the nicest places I've been in Holland. Nothing happens here, but that's precisely the point. Incidentally there don't seem to be any coffeeshops in Katwijk itself, but just bring your own, find a quiet spot on the beach, and relax.
Check out one of Leiden's many museums, such as the Natural History museum or the Ethnographic Museum.
Climb the Burcht, the fortress which stands on Leiden's only hill (artificial), and look out over the town. Especially worth doing at night.

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