Birdwatching in Polderpark Cronesteyn

Ever since I moved to Leiden, Polderpark Cronesteyn has been my favourite place to unwind after stressful exams or to simply take a stroll in fresh air. Here my fascination for birds grew, as you can easily approach and observe from close up various wonderful birds.

The park in itself has an interesting history, ranging from Roman traces to a medieval castle from 1300 (called Cronesteyn, hence the park’s name) and situated very close to the Spanish fort of “Lammen”, which played a key role in the Siege of Leiden (1574, an important moment in Dutch history). Fast forward to 1982: the area was turned into a wonderful park (130 ha) where you can see cows, sheep and rabbits grazing, various plants and wonderful birds.