Group tour Leiden local food countryside
Red and yellow. I get a craving for blushing apples and earthy nuts when I cycle through the forest of fall colors. Program of the day: a group tour Leiden local food. Let's taste that great combination of salty cheese and sweet/ sour apple!
Leiden cheese and dairy cycling route
Millions of visitors head to Gouda to taste the Holland cheese. That’s a shame, because in Leiden area you can find some real tasty farmer cheeses. Today we cycle the Leiden cheese and dairy route. It takes us to a family farm where they make cheese from cow ánd goat. In the Netherlands this is quite unique.
Where to rent a kids bike in Leiden?
The bike ride starts at Leiden Centraal train station where you can rent an OV- fiets, a regular bike or electric bike. Do you have small children? Unfortunately they do not rent out kids bikes or child seats at the train station. The nearest bike rental shop which rents out children’s bicycles is 3.5km away. I usually ask them to deliver them to the train station or ask my participants to come to the cycle rental shop.
Leiden water & the Roman canal
Leiden has 28km of water ways. For me, one of the most impressive canals is the Rijn-Schiekanaal, which starts in Rotterdam and leads all the way to Leiden. Some say Roman general Corbulo dug a canal at exactly the same place in the 1st century AC.
Polder & café
Cycle towards this canal and cross it. You should now be in front of the Park Cronesteyn. This is a beautiful polder park, meaning it’s a piece of reclaimed land. The Leiden municipality has created different zones in which you can see the different essential elements of the park: water, marsh land and forest. Many walking- and cycling paths run through the park and you’ll see that they’ll all lead to my favorite bio local café in Leiden area: De Tuin van de Smid, a polderoasis.
After you’ve eaten the delicious home made apple pie, it’s hard to get back on the bicycle. Do try, because there’s so much more too see (and taste).
From dairy farm to church
Cross the big bridge over the A4 and head towards Zoeterwoude Dorp. From here you'll spot the Leiden cheese and dairy farms. You could now follow the Noordbuurtse & Zuidbuurtseweg. It’s more fun though to take one of the cycle paths that run through the polders. You’ll cycle past small canals, between meadows full of grazing cows, horses and sheep. In the past, these paths were created for farmers to quickly get to church. They are also referred to as ‘kerkpaden’ (church paths).
One of these very small and challenging paths leads to a windmill. You’ll have a view on the Heineken brewery as well. You’re now in Weipoort. Weipoort is Leiden cheese heaven.
Butter and Leiden cheese
When Gouda made name as Cheese City, Leiden was known for the production of butter. Of the skimmed milk that was left after making butter, they made cheese. This is why the original Leiden cheese does not contain as much fat as Gouda cheese, but is a much lighter cheese ( 20+ fatt)
The taste of Leiden cheese is also much more subtle, which is why Leiden cheese farmers add herbs to create a richer taste.
Local Leiden cheese and dairy farm shops
On the Weipoortseweg you’ll find several Leiden cheese farmers. Most of them have started making full fat Gouda cheeses and in their local cheese shops sell both Leiden as well as Gouda cheese. At most of the farms you can also buy other dairy products and local products such as eggs or juices.
The Leiden family- run farm
Our last stop of today is located near the Zoetermeer lake Noord Aa. This is a complete family friendly farm where you can pet and feed goats, pigs, cows and other farm animal. They do guided tours and cheese making workshops as well. A great stop to have lunch or swap the bicycle for a canoe.
To get back to Leiden, either take the Zuidbuurtseweg or go a bit more west and find the Rijn Schiekanaal.
Want to have this route
You might also like:
- The Day I Ate Local Food in Leiden Countryside
- Cycle tour Gouda Cheese
- Bike tour Leiden cheese & local food
The Day I Ate Local Food in Leiden Countryside
The day I ate local food in Leiden countryside was a day I went cycling with two American girls who were delighted by everything they saw. At least, I think so, as they said ‘how delightful’ all the time. It was the open landscape, I guess, or maybe the tour at the Leiden cheese farm or meeting the miller in the typical Dutch village.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Netherlands 2019
Thanksgiving is an American celebration. So why would you celebrate Thanksgiving in the Netherlands? Today we travel back and forth in time in search of the roots of the harvest festival and discover thé place to celebrate Thanksgiving.
John and the Leiden Pilgrims
This is the 11th time John and his family assist the 3 October service in the Peter's Church in Leiden. As religious refugees from England they came to the city of Leiden in 1609. Leiden is not the safe harbor it was when they arrived here. Two Protestant parties clashed and are the cause of riots and caos. Soon John & family will undertake the journey to America with 35 pilgrims in total. From Delfshaven, Rotterdam they'll sail to Plymouth on the Speedwell. The Mayflower is right by their side. On their way to New England, they'll find out the Speedwell is unfit for a long voyage. All Leiden Pilgrims will have to transfer unto the already packed Mayflower to sail on to new colonies of Massachusetts.
Dutch Touch to Thanksgiving
During their stay in the Netherlands John and the Leiden Pilgrims had enjoyed the celebration of the Relief of Leiden on the 3rd of October in the Peter's Church - Pieterskerk-. The Thanksgiving holiday has its roots in the English culture. It combines aspects of a harvest festival with the special thanksgiving religious services. John and the Leiden Pilgrims added a Dutch touch to the Thanksgiving celebration. They had especially appreciated the thanksgiving service in the Pieterskerk and the meal afterwards. Together with the Dutch they sang 'Wilt heden nu treden' and translated this to 'We Gather Together'.
Thé Place to Celebrate Thanksgiving in the Netherlands
The Pieterskerk still is thé place where many come together to celebrate Thanksgiving in the Netherlands. In this church the Pilgrims recorded birth, marriage & death. John Robinson, one of the main Pilgrim Fathers, is buried. George Bush was the first sitting president of the USA who visited the Pieterskerk. His ancestor was Francis Cooke. Every year, on the 4th Thursday of November there is a Thanksgiving Day service. In 2021, the thanksgiving service in Leiden is cancelled
You might like:
Leidens Ontzet 3 October challenge
Sources used for this article:
https://nl.usembassy.gov/thanksgiving-in-the-home-of-the-pilgrims
Thanksgiving: Nederlandse erfenis
Team event Leiden
It was February when I received a request from the event manager of an international company. She was looking for a nice team event Leiden and had seen the Leidens Ontzet Treasure Hunt on the website of Verita's Visit Holland. Could I organise this group activity late March?
I smiled while I was reading the inquiry for the group event Leiden. The Leidens Ontzet, Relief of Leiden is festival celebrated on the 3rd of October. There's a great vibe and it's quite easy to connect with the locals. To organise an event in spring around a winter festival would be quite a challenge. I soon discovered that all the venues the teams would pass on the 3rd of October were closed or being renovated. So, the plans changed and I created a completely different team building activity. Same style, same adventure, same mix of creative challenges & intriguing questions, but with a different theme. Focus wasn't just on the Relief of Leiden, but on the history & culture of Leiden in general. Artists, monuments, symbols all played a part in this team event Leiden.
I do love using my creativity and organising such a custom-made group activity. At the end the 25 young professionals from the international company based in Leiden area had a great time. Well, see for yourself.
Thank you so much for your kind cooperation with the event! We had a blast!
Event manager international company Leiden area
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ico0Pzu5W7g&t=23s
August Events in the Netherlands
Summer in Holland is fantastic. Long, colourful days with nice temperatures and a good amount of sunshine ( most of the time at least). Whether you like music, food or flowers, t here's always something to do. Most of the time you can even combine all of your interests, passions and hobbies by going to one place or even one festival. Now, to make sure you won't miss out on some typical Dutch activities during your Holland holiday I wanted to highlight some August events in the Netherlands that Verita's Visit organises themed food & flowers.
Leiden-Keukenhof bike tour : Family Outing
It's a 40 km bike ride, around 24 miles and a great mix of different typical dutch landscapes. the Leiden-Keukenhof bike tour is definitely worth it and a great idea for a family outing as well. See for yourself.
Cows going outside for first time
In different areas throughout the Netherlands there are cows going outside for first time in 2020. Mid-March a farmer in Flevoland was the first to let out his dairy cows in the green pastures. Living in The Hague and being a big fan of the dairy and cheese farms in Leiden area, I searched for a chance to see the cow dance in my neighbourhood.
Cow Dance
Cowdance, in Dutch called koeiendans is the frolic jumping, twirling and running of cows let out in the meadows for the first time in spring. I saw the cows going outside for the first time at different dairy & cheese farms in Hague/ Delft / Leiden area in previous years. Boerderij de Vierhuizen is one of my favourites. It's an amazing farm with calfs, lambs and there's a lovely atmosphere.
Dry land, fresh grass
I've had quite some conversations with the farmers on when it's the right time to let the cows dance. Cows can't dance when the soil is still soggy, cows can't eat grass when grass hasn't grown yet. If the farmer lets his cows out to early, they trip in the soggy soil and will need to get back into the barn again as there is no grass yet. It's actually quite animal unfriendly to let them out too early. You will surely enjoy the cow dance more if you wait a bit.
This beautiful video by Midvliet TV was made in and around the cheese farm. In the spotlight the cheese farmer, the happy cows and....me :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFDHeivB8yk
Cow Alert
Land van Wijk en Wouden, in Leiden area gives you the opportunity to register for a 'cow alert'. This way you receive the latest updates on when and on which dairy and cheese farms in the area between Leiden and Zoetermeer you can see the the cows going outside for first time in 2021.
Vockestaert, in Delft area also has a cow alert. They publish the dates you can see the cow dance on their FB page.
Do you want to know more about the cheese that is made out of the milk given by a cow that has eaten fresh grass again after a long time? If you want to find out, just get in touch.
You might also like:
Leiden cheese & dairy cycling route
The Hague windmill & local food route
2.5 hour tour Leiden lakes plus visit windmill