The young Rembrandt and Leiden contemporaries
Leiden, Warmond
Rembrandt van Rijn was, without a doubt, the most famous Leiden painter of the Golden Age. Today we take you along the places, between Leiden and Warmond, that inspired the artist and his Leiden contemporaries, past Rembrandt's former studio and more important highlights from the lives of these Leiden masters. Dutch museums and far beyond have paintings by artists of the 17th century, including many famous Leiden painters. Especially still lifes, (group) portraits and history paintings with biblical, mythological or literary scenes were popular subjects for painting at the time, but everyday scenes, landscapes and cityscapes were also often the theme. By far the most famous Dutch artist of that baroque painting era, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, was born on Weddesteeg on 15 July 1606. The house is right opposite the former De Rijn standing mill where his father processed grain into malt for breweries. Rembrandt is the ninth child in the family. At the age of seven, he begins an education at the Latin school, followed by a study of literature of at least two years at Leiden University. After completing his studies, the young Rembrandt is first apprenticed to Leiden painter Jacob van Swanenburgh (1621-1623), before making a trip to Amsterdam to take lessons from history painter Pieter Lastman. He learns not only painting, but also drawing and etching. In 1625, he returned to Leiden, where, near his birthplace, he started his own studio and worked frequently with his friend and fellow student Jan Lievens. His first work seems mainly influenced by his Amsterdam teacher, but he also experimented with new techniques and raw materials and developed his own typical style, depicting people in a very lifelike, emotive and characteristic way and applying light-dark effects brilliantly. In 1631, Rembrandt, then only 25 years young, left for Amsterdam where he became one of the greatest painters in history. Some well-known other Leiden painters from the Golden Age are Jacob van Swanenburgh, Rembrandt's first teacher; fine painter Gerrit Dou one of his pupils in Leiden and of course Jan Steen, who became world-famous mainly for his humorous and messy paintings of households and pubs. Or Frans and Willem van Mieris. Some of them did not stay in the studio, but went out and drew and painted the surroundings of Leiden. For instance, landscape painter Jan van Goyen drew landscapes everywhere in his sketchbook and later painted them in his studio. For instance, he painted Gezicht op Leiden vanuit het noordoosten (1651), which he must have painted along the Zijl river. On this route, you not only pass this little river, but also cycle through old Leiden, which flourished in the Golden Age, and past various places that played such an important role in the life of the young Rembrandt. Sometimes you'll have to go off route and cycle through Leiden's alleys, but it's definitely worth it! Note! Along the way, you will encounter a bicycle ferry on this route. It only sails from 1 March to 1 October. If you cycle outside the sailing season, go straight to junction 1 from junction 44 (or vice versa if you cycle the route in the other direction). Self-portrait Rembrandt: royalty-free via Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. This Premium Cycle route was compiled by our editor: Wieger Favier.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
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Start: Vlietweg 2, 2323 LB Leiden | 29.2 KM | |
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From
9
to
72
|
869 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on Vlietweg | 94 M | ||
| Turn right onto Knotterpad | 766 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Knotterpad | 9 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
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From
72
to
65
|
399 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head east on Knotterpad | 399 M | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
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From
65
to
64
|
814 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head east on Knotterpad | 260 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Knotterpad | 92 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Boerenpad | 209 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Boerenpad | 253 M | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
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From
64
to
75
|
1886 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head east on Grote-Polderpad | 31 M | ||
| Turn left onto Grote-Polderpad | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
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From
75
to
68
|
732 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Ommedijkseweg | 298 M | ||
| Turn right | 27 M | ||
| Continue onto Burgemeester Smeetsweg | 71 M | ||
| Continue slightly left onto Ommedijkseweg | 289 M | ||
| Continue onto Burgemeester Smeetsweg | 47 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
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From
68
to
18
|
1218 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head north | 12 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoge Rijndijk | 765 M | ||
| Turn right | 441 M | ||
| You are now at section 18 | 0 M | ||
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From
18
to
69
|
776 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northeast | 10 M | ||
| Continue onto Graaf van Bylandtpad | 179 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoofdstraat | 529 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoofdstraat | 58 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
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From
69
to
85
|
1143 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head north on Ockenrode | 404 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Ockenrode | 12 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 156 M | ||
| Continue onto Dijkgravenlaan | 4 M | ||
| Turn left onto Van der Valk Boumanweg | 567 M | ||
| You are now at section 85 | 0 M | ||
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From
85
to
44
|
926 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head north on Zijldijk | 926 M | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
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From
44
to
78
|
723 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zijldijk | 63 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zijlstroom | 9 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zijldijk | 651 M | ||
| You are now at section 78 | 0 M | ||
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From
78
to
36
|
1102 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zijldijk | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
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From
36
to
1
|
253 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head northwest | 11 M | ||
| Take the ferry De Zijlboot | 219 M | ||
| Continue slight right onto Broekpolder | 23 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
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From
1
to
76
|
2757 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head north on Broekpolder | 138 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Broekpolder | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn right onto 't Joppepad | 216 M | ||
| Turn right onto Veerpolderpad | 964 M | ||
| Turn left onto Padoxlaan | 20 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
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From
76
to
52
|
2630 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head south on Padoxlaan; van Wassenaarstraat | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sweilandstraat | 280 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lockhorstlaan | 34 M | ||
| Turn left onto Jan Steenlaan | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Beatrixlaan | 333 M | ||
| Continue straight | 5 M | ||
| Turn right onto Herenweg | 883 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
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From
52
to
53
|
955 M | 1 KM | |
| Head north on Oosteinde | 674 M | ||
| Turn left onto Warmonderweg | 279 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 2 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
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From
53
to
68
|
1233 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Warmonderweg | 23 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoofdstraat | 536 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Rijksstraatweg | 68 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Rijksstraatweg | 606 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
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From
68
to
74
|
2528 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Rijksstraatweg | 74 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Rijksstraatweg | 10 M | ||
| Continue straight | 531 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 64 M | ||
| Continue onto Haarlemmertrekvaart | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
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From
74
to
77
|
105 M | 0.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Haarlemmertrekvaart | 22 M | ||
| Turn right onto Abtspoelweg | 83 M | ||
| You are now at section 77 | 0 M | ||
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From
77
to
91
|
819 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Haarlemmertrekvaart | 819 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M | ||
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From
91
to
22
|
276 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head south on Haarlemmertrekvaart | 276 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
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From
22
to
75
|
1639 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head south on Haarlemmertrekvaart | 574 M | ||
| Keep left onto Haarlemmerweg | 238 M | ||
| Turn right onto Stadspolderweg | 22 M | ||
| Turn left onto Haarlemmerweg | 9 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Haarlemmerweg | 796 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
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From
75
to
16
|
780 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head west on Rijnsburgersingel | 471 M | ||
| Continue onto Stationsweg | 5 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Stationsweg | 69 M | ||
| Turn right onto 1e Binnenvestgracht | 235 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
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From
16
to
86
|
354 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head south on 1e Binnenvestgracht | 72 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rembrandtbrug | 68 M | ||
| Continue onto Weddesteeg | 81 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordeinde | 133 M | ||
| You are now at section 86 | 0 M | ||
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From
86
to
11
|
1914 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Witte Singel | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
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From
11
to
70
|
1410 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head south on Cronesteinkade | 254 M | ||
| Continue left onto Van den Brandelerkade | 68 M | ||
| Turn right onto Thorbeckestraat | 50 M | ||
| Turn left onto Lorentzkade | 568 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kanaalweg | 194 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kanaalweg | 16 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kanaalweg | 69 M | ||
| Turn left | 149 M | ||
| Turn right onto Roomburgerpad | 42 M | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
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From
70
to
16
|
334 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head west on Cronesteinpad | 334 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
9
|
538 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Cronesteyn | 538 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M | ||
|
From
9
to
9
|
94 M | 0.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Cronesteyn | 94 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M |