🇳🇱 Leiden University + Museum Voorlinden | A Tale of Two Treasures

1️⃣ Leiden University & the City of Leiden Leiden feels like stepping into a medieval academic dream—empty streets, drizzling rain, and Gothic spires that whisper centuries of history. 🏛️☔ The university (founded in 1575!) blends seamlessly into the city center, with canals and red-brick buildings straight out of a British novel. Sitting by the river, I wondered: Did Descartes or Spinoza see this same view? ✨ Why It’s Legendary: "Fortress of Freedom" 🛡️: Sheltered persecuted thinkers (like Descartes) and birthed Enlightenment ideas. Alumni Royalty 👑: Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Einstein (guest professor!), and Hugo Grotius (father of international law). Asian Library 📚: A whole floor dedicated to Asian studies—Confucian encyclopedias, Qing dynasty documents... Cue cultural pride as a Chinese student abroad! 2️⃣ Museum Voorlinden A playground for the senses—contemporary art meets minimalist architecture in a lush private estate. Founded by a chemical tycoon in 2016, this museum delights with: 🎨 Alice-in-Wonderland elevator 🪄 🏊 A "swimming pool" illusion (you’ll gasp!) 🖼️ Art that you interpret—"The artist’s job ends; yours begins." (Mind. Blown.) 🌳 Bonus: The gardens are art themselves. Peek out windows mid-exhibit—nature’s gallery awaits! (P.S. Free with a Dutch museum card—cheers to that! 🥂) #Wanderlust #Leiden #MuseumVoorlinden #StudyAbroad #ArtLover #HiddenNetherlands #CulturalGem