What Makes Leiden, Netherlands a Charming Winter Destination?

[Andre]

Right that city in the Netherlands with the oldest Dutch university. This is what a historic part of it looks like now at the end of the winter. All pics are reduced to 20%.

And those wooden shoes? Yes it's true. We have them:

 

[epenguin]

I have been there a few times, but it is now a long time ago.
Ideally one should have been everywhere in the last 5 or 10 years, but one's connections and motives for doing so diminish. I remember it in the spring and summer. Perhaps it has a different flavour of charm at the moment, as your pics show.

I was appalled to read a few years ago that the botanical garden there, practically the oldest and in its time most reputed of Europe (attracting the visits of Peter the Great, Voltaire et al.) was going to be eliminated for some short-sighted vandalic purpose or other. However I vaguely remember hearing of some prospect of some Japanese finance and looking it up this moment it appears that that has come to fruition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortus_Botanicus_Leiden Phew. The purpose of the gardens was scientific, and I do not remember them as anything spectacular, not being a botanist.

 

[hypatia]

I love the colors of the waterfront. You can see the history in the buildings, looks like a nice place to spend some time.