Poems you should not miss
- Marina Tsvetaeva on the Nieuwsteeg — the very first wall poem of the project.
- Shakespeare's sonnet on the Langebrug.
- E. E. Cummings near the Pieterskerk.
- Federico García Lorca on the Rapenburg.
- The Japanese and Arabic poems around the Hortus and the Sterrenwacht.
Walking the route
Most poems sit within the ring of canals, so a two-hour loop from the station via the Pieterskwartier, the Rapenburg and the Nieuwe Rijn picks up several dozen. The Muurgedichten foundation publishes a free online map with translations and audio, which works well on a phone.
Good to know
- Free and available every hour of the day.
- Bring an umbrella rather than a schedule; the poems are outdoors.
- Paint is restored regularly, so a few are occasionally under cover.
Turn the poems into a self-guided city walk
Do not try to collect every wall poem in one visit. Choose a compact route through Pieterskwartier, Rapenburg and the streets around the Hortus; this keeps the walk enjoyable and leaves time to look at the typography, original language and architecture around each work.
The project began in 1992 and deliberately presents poems in their original scripts. Use the official wall-poem project for background and translations, then read the work at street level without blocking entrances or photographing residents through their windows.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a fixed Leiden wall-poems route?
- You can create your own route from the official project map. A central loop is easiest because many poems sit within the old canal ring.
- How long should I allow for the wall poems?
- Allow about two hours for a relaxed central selection. Add time if you want to read translations or combine the route with museums and cafés.
Continue exploring Leiden
- Leiden museumsDiscover 13 museums in Leiden, from Naturalis and the National Museum of Antiquities to De Lakenhal, Boerhaave and De Valk, with tickets and visitor tips.
- De Valk windmillVisit Molen De Valk, Leiden's historic windmill museum at 2e Binnenvestgracht 1, close to Leiden Centraal, with city views and visitor tips.
- Historic LeidenExplore historic Leiden through Rembrandt's early years, the Pilgrim Fathers, Pieterskerk, university sites and the city's 1574 story.
- De BurchtDiscover De Burcht in Leiden: a stone ring wall from the second half of the 12th century on a mound created in the 9th and 10th centuries.