The 17th-century canal that shaped the Dutch landscape and modern rail travel

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Dug in 1657, the Leidsevaart was once the primary artery between Haarlem and Leiden. This pull-canal offered a reliable, comfortable, and affordable way to travel by horse-drawn boat. Its influence was so profound that when the railway arrived in the 19th century, it simply mimicked the canal's original toll-bridge stops.

The Leidsevaart, or Leiden's Pull-Canal, served as a vital extension of the Haarlemmertrekvaart, which linked Amsterdam to Haarlem. For nearly two centuries, this waterway was the preferred mode of transit for both people and goods. Passengers traveled on a trekschuit, while cargo moved via barge. These vessels were typically pulled by animals or, occasionally, by human power along a dedicated towpath. At a steady speed of about 7 kilometers per hour, the canal provided a travel experience that was both faster than walking and significantly more comfortable than riding in a coach.

The canal's development was deeply intertwined with the lives of the wealthy Amsterdam elite, who built summer estates along its banks. These families frequently commissioned private canal spurs to reach their doorsteps, allowing them to transport heavy belongings directly to their homes. Maintaining this infrastructure required a complex system of tolls and taxes. Landowners whose property was seized for the canal's construction received compensation, yet they were required to fund the construction of their own bridges. Furthermore, operators of trekschuit services faced higher tax burdens than those transporting goods, reflecting the canal's economic significance.

The rise of the Oude Lijn railway between Leiden and Haarlem in 1842 signaled the end of the canal's dominance. As the costs of maintaining trekschuit travel became increasingly unattractive compared to the new rail connection, the canal's popularity plummeted. Today, the Leidsevaart is largely disused for boat traffic, rendered impassable by numerous non-operational drawbridges. Despite its decline, the canal remains a historical landmark, passing by notable former estates such as the Hartekamp, where Carl Linnaeus once worked, and Keukenhof, now famous for its annual flower exhibitions. The legacy of the canal persists in the geography of the region, where the original railway stops still mirror the locations of the old toll bridges.

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