Pride of Leyden
Experience the unique sensation of staying on a Dutch canal
Excellent! 4.7/5
Houseboat summary
Pride of Leyden is located in the historic town of Leyden, a very pleasant market town with cobble stone alleys, a citadel, old university buildings and the most museums per capita in the Netherlands. Most landmarks can be reached on foot.
Houseboat description
Houseboat Pride of Leyden is very comfortable and fully equipped with every comfort, from a well stocked kitchen, to central heating and air conditioning, a TV and Wifi internet, and a veranda with a spectacular view. The main bedroom sleeps two in a king-size bed, the study sleeps one on a sofa bed. An extra bed can be provided.
The houseboat is moored in the Nieuwe Rijn, on the edge of Leiden's centre. It is a very picturesque part of Leiden, with a view of a drawbridge, period style street lamps and typical Dutch style houses. A short walk takes you to one of Holland's largest shopping areas. And just around the corner are a restaurant and a supermarket. There is good on street parking (paid) and you're only 5 minutes away from the motorway. Leiden train station is on both the intercity network and the night train network, so trains run frequently and throughout the night.
The Pride of Leyden is situated in the historic town of Leiden, which is, among other things:
* the departure point of the Pilgrim Fathers
* Rembrandt's place of birth
* home of the Netherlands' oldest university
* the town with the most museums per capita in the Netherlands
* centrally located, with Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, the bulb fields and the sea side only a short train journey or car trip away.
Please note that the minimum stay is three nights.
Details
Location
Houseboat owner
Jacqueline
Pride of Leyden was built around the year 1953. It was then several metres shorter than it now is. At some point the boat was extended at both ends, which can you still see by the fact that the boat overhangs its foundations by about a metre at either end.
It its early life Pride of Leyden was used as a beauty salon. This accounts for the large number of power points, sometimes in unusual places.
Pride of Leyden was not always the name give to this boat. When I first spotted it, it was registered under the name Medusa. Medusa, according to the myth, was a beautiful woman who incurred the wrath of the goddess Athena, who not only turned Medusa’s hair into writhing snakes, but also caused everyone who looked her in the face to turn into stone. A strange name for a beauty salon, whose aim it is to have their customers leave more beautiful than they arrived.
Due to its excellent location, I wanted to use the boat for renting out to visitors from abroad. After refurbishing it (the verandah had to be completely replaced), I took such pride in my beautiful boat, that I wanted to rename her. I would have liked to name her Mayflower, since she is a boat and the original Mayflower sailed from Leiden, but unfortunately there already is a hotel with that name in Leiden. So now she carries the proud name of Pride of Leyden, which is also her official registered name.
6 Reviews - Pride of Leyden
Excellent! 4.7/5
Carol G - the United States
15 May
We hit the jackpot!
Alexandra -Florentia P - Switzerland
22 Sep
Pride of Leiden..work of love!!
William S - the United States
21 Oct
Convenient and roomy place to stay in Leiden
Double S
16 Jul
Stone - the United States
27 Jul
Very well equipped floating home