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Historic street in Leiden near Rembrandt's birthplace

Rembrandt van Rijn, local hero number one

Everyone associates Rembrandt with Amsterdam, but the first 25 years — the ones in which he learned everything — happened in Leiden, a few hundred metres from where his father's malt mill stood on the Rhine.

The Leiden years

Born on the Weddesteeg in 1606, Rembrandt attended the Latin School, briefly enrolled at the university at fourteen, and then chose an apprenticeship instead. By 1625 he had his own studio, sharing models and ideas with Jan Lievens; the small, sharply lit history pieces of those years already show the light he became famous for.

Where to see his Leiden

  • Weddesteeg: the site of his birthplace, marked by a monument on the Rhine.
  • The Young Rembrandt Studio on the Langebrug, in the building where he worked.
  • Museum De Lakenhal, for Leiden painting of his generation.
  • The Latin School on the Lokhorststraat, still a school building today.

Why he still matters here

Leiden trained him and then lost him to Amsterdam in 1631, which is very much a Leiden story: the city produces, the country profits. Walk the Weddesteeg at dusk and the light coming off the water explains more about his paintings than most museum labels do.