Discover Benelux | South Holland | Leiden Highlights
A place to call home with style and character TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: ST.PIERRE
Just a glance at the front door of st.PIERRE reveals why this luxury short-stay apartment is in a league of its own in Leiden. The spacious apartment is stylishly decorated but also retains the authentic character of the 17th century building. With fresh flowers welcoming your arrival, owners Merijn Mulder and his mother do all they can to make guests feel fully at home. He says: “You have your own space with a separate front door. But if there is anything you need, I live next door and my mother is in the apartment above. This way we can offer services just like you’d expect from a concierge at a top hotel.” The split-level luxury apartment has a brand new, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, and a quiet patio at the back. It is decorated in a minimalist style featuring designer furniture and quirky details, such as a baby blue retro fridge.
The listed building from 1623 used to be at the heart of Leiden’s thriving wool industry. This street was where fullers washed their wool and turned it into felt. “You can still see remnants of this in the structure,” Mulder says and points out two arches. One of them would lead to the canal, and the other the cistern. “It’s quite a rare feature to still have.” st.PIERRE opened in November last year, and its name refers to Leiden’s patron Saint Peter. “My mother and I both have a background in the hotel industry. After redecorating the place over the summer, we now run it together,” he adds. Located in the centre of Leiden, st.PIERRE offers room for up to two guests and is just a short walk away from shops, conference centres and local amenities. www.st-pierre.info
An unexpected journey TEXT: CHARLOTTE VAN HEK | PHOTOS: CORPUS
Do you know everything there is to know about the human body? You will after your visit to CORPUS. Here you will experience a unique 55-minute journey, learning all about the human body, how it works, and how to keep it healthy. The entrance to the CORPUS experience indicates that this is not your regular attraction. You enter via the knee, after which you will experience the human body in the most fascinating way. Think jumping on a human tongue, taking an ear-trip, or getting lost in a uterus. Your journey is guided by an audio tour that is available in eight languages. You leave via the brain. There is more. After your journey, you can take your time at ‘my CORPUS’, the interactive part of the experience, boasting fun games and tests. ‘my CORPUS’ focusses on healthy living – something that CORPUS has had at its heart for its nine-year existence. “A healthy life is essential to everyone, and knowledge is 66 | Issue 40 | April 2017
essential to maintain that,” says Esther Nielen, marketing and communication executive at CORPUS. “After our visitors have finished their journey, they go home with a different outlook on their bodies.” The adjacent CORPUS Congress Centre is the attraction’s professional brother. This attractive venue can host small or large events, from trade fairs, to conferences, to intimate receptions. “The congress centre and the CORPUS experience reinforce each other,” Nielen explains. “For many companies – whether or not in the health sector – the issue of vitality and health is always of interest. What better way to explain this to your employees than with an actual journey through the human body?” CORPUS welcomes both adults and children (recommended from age eight, minimum age six). CORPUS ‘journey through the human body’ uses time slots, so book on time! www.corpusexperience.nl www.corpuscongresscentre.nl