The Rhine ends in a whimper rather than a bang. After its long journey from the Alps, its old main branch, the Oude Rijn, winds quietly through the flat polders of South Holland past Leiden toward the North Sea, and for the Romans this sluggish waterway was the northern frontier of the empire. At Roomburg, on the edge of Leiden and Leiderdorp, stood the fort of Matilo, guarding the river and the canal that linked it with the Meuse, and today its site is part of the Roomburgerpark, a green space with information points and outlines marking where the fort stood. It belongs to the Lower Germanic Limes, listed by UNESCO in 2021.
Leiden itself, just a couple of kilometres away, is one of the most charming cities in the Netherlands. It has the oldest university in the country, founded in 1575, canals lined with gabled houses, windmills and museums, and it was the birthplace of Rembrandt. The National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden holds Roman finds from the region, as well as Egyptian treasures, and is well worth a visit.
The riding here is flat, of course, and the roads are dominated by cyclists, who have their own paths, traffic lights and priority in many situations. Be alert at junctions and roundabouts, where cyclists may cross in front of you, and expect narrow roads along the canals and dykes. Wind is a constant companion, often strong and from the west. North of Leiden the bulb fields around Lisse bloom in spring, a spectacular sight of colour stretching across the polders.
Leiderdorp and Leiden have all the fuel, food and coffee you could need. Dutch food is simple but satisfying: raw herring with onions from a street stall, cheese from Leiden itself, flavoured with cumin, and pancakes, poffertjes and apple pie in cafés. A Leiden specialty is hutspot, a mash of potatoes, carrots and onions, which the city eats on 3 October to celebrate the end of the Spanish siege in 1574.
Come in spring for the bulb fields, or in summer for long evenings on the canals. Autumn and winter bring wind, rain and grey skies, but also cosy cafés. Stroll through Roomburgerpark, look at the quiet river and remember that this placid green ditch was once the edge of the Roman world.