Pieterskerk, Leiden

Pieterskerk, Leiden tickets: which one to buy

The Pieterskerk stands in the heart of Leiden's old town, near the university's oldest buildings, and it is ticketed; it is no longer used for regular worship but serves as a venue for events, exhibitions and concerts, so opening hours depend on the events calendar. Checking in advance is wise. The church is especially interesting for visitors from the United States, because of its connection with the Pilgrim Fathers, and the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum is a few minutes' walk away.

Walking tours of Leiden combine the church with the canals, the university, the Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, and the windmill museum. Leiden is about half an hour by train from Amsterdam and fifteen minutes from The Hague, and it is often visited with the tulip fields of Keukenhof in spring. The Pilgrim Museum nearby is small and opens on limited days, so check before visiting.

Visiting Pieterskerk, Leiden: what to see

The church was built in the Gothic style between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, on the site of an older chapel, and it is the largest church in Leiden. Its tower collapsed in 1512 and was never rebuilt, so the church has no tall spire. After the Reformation the church was stripped of its decoration, and the interior is a vast, light space with brick and whitewashed walls, wooden vaults and a floor of gravestones. Among those buried here are the painter Jan Steen and the Pilgrim minister John Robinson, who led the English Separatists who lived in Leiden before sailing to America on the Mayflower in 1620;

a memorial plaque honours him. The famous Dutch physician Herman Boerhaave is also buried in the church. The church holds an old organ and a carved pulpit, and displays tell the story of the Pilgrims. The nave holds a small exhibition about the Pilgrims, with maps and documents about their life in Leiden and their departure from Delfshaven. The church's organ, from the seventeenth century, is used for concerts. The floor stones carry the arms and names of Leiden families and professors. A memorial to the siege of Leiden recalls the city's resistance to the Spanish in 1574.

Pieterskerk, Leiden opening hours and the best time to go

The church opens daily when no private event is scheduled, with visiting hours listed online. Leiden is lively throughout the year, with students giving it energy during term time. Spring brings the tulip season, when the nearby bulb fields and Keukenhof gardens bloom, usually from late March to mid-May. On 3 October, Leiden celebrates the relief of the siege of 1574 with a festival, parades and herring and white bread.

Thanksgiving in November is marked with a special service in the Pieterskerk, attended by Americans. Allow about half an hour for the church, and walk along the Rapenburg canal to the Hortus Botanicus. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, the national museum of antiquities, is a few minutes' walk and holds an Egyptian temple.