Pieterskerk

Leiden


Crowned by its huge steeple, this now deconsecrated church is often under restoration – a good thing, as it has been prone to collapse since it was built in 1121. Its most distinctive feature is an unusual marble and stone floor.

The precinct includes the gabled Latin School, which – before it became a commercial building – was attended by a pupil named Rembrandt from 1616 to 1620. Across the plaza, look for the Gravensteen, which dates from the 13th century and was once a prison. The gallery facing the plaza was where judges watched executions.