Top 5 Leiden based Instagrams

Leiden is such a pretty city, with lots of hidden corners, so it’s no surprise there’s a whole host of Leiden based instagrams. Leiden University has lots of cute city pictures, as well as keeping you updated on what the university is up to. Instagram can be a really useful way to virtually explore Leiden, finding new cafes, shops, and streets to explore, as well as new communities to engage with.

For the Cat Fan: catspotting_leiden

Phone full of cat photos? This is the perfect place to share them, as well as find more cat-spots to frequent. @catspotting_leiden is probably the most wholesome Instagram on this list, and is perfect for that lunch time Instagram scroll, cute photo mining for friends, and for planning a new Saturday walking route around the city!

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“My bike. MINE.”😼 . 📸: @happypetsleiden #streetcat #instacats #catsofinstagram #catsoftheworld #catscatscats #gingercat #orangecat #leidencats #catspottingleiden #leiden #dutchcat #catspotting #cats #cat

A post shared by Catspotting Leiden (@catspotting_leiden) on Dec 14, 2018 at 6:20am PST

For the Activist: canalcups

@canalcups is the perfect account for your environmentalist and activist self, looking at canal pollution in the Netherlands, specifically campaigning for re-usable cups and reducing single use plastics in Leiden. This is a really great account for getting you to think about your daily plastic use and other single use product waste, and is creating a very interesting community that’s interested in these issues.

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Today is a major day, we spoke with the mayor! 🏅 He fully supports our mission, but it still postponing the transition to reusable cups, ”maybe this year, but most likely next year”. Bla bla bla. That is what we have been hearing since 2001. 🙈 What is your message to the mayor? ♻️. . Photo 82. One of the 2500 single-use beer cups we collected in the canals of Leiden, the Netherlands. #onecupaday . . Follow us: @canalcups ♻ . . . . . ….. #nomoreplastic #plasticsucks #plastic #planetorplastic #plasticsoup #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #saynotoplastic #lessplastic #canal #leiden #pollution #waste #zerowaste #recycle #singleuseplastic #plasticwaste #yourplasticsucks #ipickeditup #nomoresingleuseplastic #refusesingleuse #heineken #saveouroceans @heineken @heinekennl @gemeenteleiden @plasticchange @blueoceanaction @plasticpollutes @plastic_patrol @breakfreefromplastics @yourplasticsucks

A post shared by CanalCups (@canalcups) on Jan 7, 2019 at 3:01pm PST

For the Plant Parent: rogiervanvugt

Rogier is one of the Hortus Botanicus gardeners (also a fantastic Instagram!), and also an incredibly talented photographer. @rogiervanvugt posts the most beautiful photos of plants, complete with information on the location and propagation of the plant, as well as musings on the plants. This account will make you wish you were a botanist and could travel all over the world to see a single flower as well!

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As it is Halloween. It's time for something spooky. This is Epipogium aphyllum a plant that is known as the ghost orchid. There are a couple of species that are called ghost orchid so thankfully we have Latin names to differentiate between these. But back to this plant. Like the previous post this species is also a mycoheterotrophic plant. It gets all it nutrients and energy by stealing this from various fungus species that live in cooperation with conifers. This lovely orchid got it's name because of the fact that it does not flower every year. They can even flower underground which makes that they can be present but invisible for many years. It can then surprise people by showing its flowers years after this plant was considered extinct in the area. Because of this habit the plant is sadly impossible to grow making it extra special to find it in flower in nature. I was lucky enough to see it a couple of times and I took these pictures in Switzerland. #ghostorchid #epipogiumaphyllum #mycoheterotrophic #orchidsarebeautiful #haloween #graubunden #switzerland #wildflowers #plantcetera #weirdplants

A post shared by Rogier van Vugt🍃 (@rogiervanvugt) on Oct 31, 2018 at 2:09pm PDT

For the Museum Lover: sieboldhuis

For the culture and museum nerd, @sieboldhuis posts beautiful photographs of their rare prints. The Sieboldhuis specialises in the relationship between the Netherlands and Japan, looking at Japanese culture and art. This museum is definitely worth an afternoons exploration, with the Instagram adding a beautiful and calm aspect to your feed.

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SYMBOOL VOOR EERLIJKHEID| Maina is de verzamelnaam voor een aantal Aziatische spreeuwensoorten. Ze staan bekend als vogels met een sterk onafhankelijk karakter en staan in Japan symbool voor eerlijkheid. De vogels komen niet voor in Japan, maar worden graag afgebeeld in de Japanse kunst. De maina is in deze prent ook de voorbode van de lente. Afbeelding: Uitsnede van: Ohara Koson, Maina in een magnolia, (1905-1906). Meer mooie vogels en bloemen zien? Kom dan naar de tentoonstelling ‘Kachō-ga. De poëzie van de Japanse natuur’. #kachoga #japanmuseum #sieboldhuis #Leiden #siebold #japan #museum #japanmuseumsieboldhuis #maina #oharakoson #koson #ukiyoe #prent #Japanseprent

A post shared by Japanmuseum SieboldHuis (@sieboldhuis) on Jan 10, 2019 at 12:09am PST

For the Outdoorsy Instagrammer: detuinvandesmid

@detuinvandesmid is a lovely café located in the polder park Cronesteyn, serving a range of delicious drinks and vegan desserts. The café is also home to a lot of chickens, some geese, turkey, goats, donkeys, cats, and more! After a walk around #Cronesteynpark head to the café, say hello to the animals, and grab a lovely hot drink.

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Lente ofzo ♥️

A post shared by De tuin van de smid (@detuinvandesmid) on Jan 9, 2019 at 4:30am PST

Hope these instagrams give you some good follow leads and make your feed more Leiden-centric! Comment your favourite instagram below (your own instagram is more than ok too).