Leiden’s Bioscopen

Movie fans rejoice! Now that the sun has abandoned Leiden and left its miserable inhabitants to withstand six or seven months of intolerable wind, wet, and cold, students are elated that their favorite time-consuming pastime has become newly legitimate. With the city’s parks puddle-ridden, cycling paths cyclonically windy, and streets cold and inhospitable, it is now perfectly socially acceptable to go and spend several hours of mid-week time in a dark and comfortable room drinking wine and eating candy. Lucking, Leiden has three excellent, beautiful cinemas screening Dutch and International films. 

Lido: Steenstraat 39

The Lido, near Centraal station, is the largest of Leiden’s cinemas. It has five halls, ranging in size from 80-250 seats. Because of the diversity of its facilities, you can expect a wide range of films to be screened here.

Trianon: Breestraat 31 

The Trianon has three halls (as you might expect), including the largest room in Leiden, Hall 1, which seats 400. This cinema is beautiful, with dim, dark wood, and a modern, open bar. It is also the oldest of Leiden’s current cinemas (1927), and is housed in a building that dates to the 15th century, though it was renovated in 1994.

I find the seats here really, really comfy. I think it also sounds the best, and watching films here is a treat. Notice the details, including the handrails, ceiling lights and old mirrors. The building was originally one large hall that hosted 900, and some fittings from its history have remained.

Kijkhuis: Vrouwenkerksteeg 10

Kijkhuis has two small screening rooms, which give you a feeling of intimacy and closeness to the screen. Sometimes there are only a handful of people with you in the cinema, which poses a stark contrast to the large and dramatic Trianon 1. The staff here are relaxed and knowledgable, and interested in the films they show.

Dedicated to international, domestic and independent films, the Kijkhuis provides an alternative program to the Lido and Trianon. It also has a cozy lobby area with soft seats and books about cinema.

Intersted in Cinema?

If you want to get more involved in Leiden’s cinemas, consider joining the ISN Movie Club.  They meet each week and show international movies of all sorts – check their F/b page.