In the Netherlands old Roman roads are almost absent. Transport of persons and goods back then had to be done by shipping. The best location to start a new town was where two rivers met. Such was the case of Leiden.

Rivers had a positive impact on trade but caused the danger of flooding. In order to maintain dry feet, a hill was erected. To withstand military invasion, the hill was surrounded by a wall. The burcht survived until today and became immortalized in the coat of arms of Leiden.

When production of cloth in Flanders declined at the end of the sixteenth century, Leiden took over. This generated a high demand for workforce in textile manufacturing, which stimulated a large group of British Pilgrim Fathers to move from Amsterdam to Leiden. 

The oldest university of the Netherlands is located in Leiden. One of the many famous persons connected to the university was Dr. Clusius, the botanist who brought the tulip to the Netherlands.

Impossible not to mention is that one of the greatest Dutch painters, Rembrandt, grew up in Leiden.