If you happen to be in Leiden on October 4, don't expect a quiet visit. The city is packed--celebrating the expulsion of the Spaniards from Leiden in the 1500s. Get off at Leiden Centraal from anywhere in the Netherlands and you are immediately thrown into the bustling streets. There is a carnival going on--there are rides, food stands, thrift sales, drunk Dutchmen going by on bicycles--and all at the same time. This is your chance to try herring, poffertjes (mini pancakes with butter and confectioner's sugar), and krokketen, all in the same afternoon. But leave room for the traditional meal on this holiday: hutspot. On this day, lose yourself in Leiden's streets--walk down from the station and weave through the streets of Beestenmarkt, Haarlemmerstraat--there are people everywhere. If you want to understand the history behind the event and the celebration, go to the Burcht, the fortress where the Dutch hid when they inundated the canals to kick out the Spanish centuries before. You have time to take a tea or a beer at one of the two resto-cafés located there as well. Go into the Burcht and climb up the stairs; you'll see any impressive view of Leiden.
After this, you may want to head to the Pieterskerk to check out the original pilgrim church, if the renovations have ended (when I left in July 2005, it was only open for special events). If you can get inside, do it--it's beautiful and spacious. Then go back to the carnival and street entertainment until you work up an appetite for dinner. I recommend eating hutspot at Cafe de Hooykist, located a block before the old hospital, Hooigracht 15, on that same street. This eetcafe is small and great for a rainy day. Inside, the restaurant is dimly lit, and they have a wide array of beers on tap. And their hutspot--pretty delicious, I must say. What exactly is hutspot? Meat or veal served with a mashed concoction of carrots, potatoes, and onions. This meal is very hearty. At Cafe Hooykist, the hutspot tasted very good (even after a day of eating at the various outdoor stands), and was the best dish I had there when I returned other times. Hutspot is only served on the October 4 weekend.
At night, bars open their doors and their tunes onto the streets, where hundreds of Dutchmen throng under the tarps and dance. Depending on where you go depends on the kind of music you'll hear. Across from Hooykist, at a bar with cows drawn on the outside, you'll listen to more traditional Dutch music. On the Rapenburg, at Cafe Barrera, a techno DJ is set up outside. And this is everywhere. The beer is free-flowing and the atmosphere happy and exuberant. If you happen to be in Holland on October 4 (and especially if you've never been in Paris for the Fete de la Musique or another city with an outdoor street party), get to Leiden.