Leiden is a small city which is situated between the Old and New Rhines. The same applies to the castle there, which as the story goes, is built upon a man-made hill, and was probably originally used as an escape in case of the very same rivers flooded.
So, this very same castle was built on this hill, and though it has not seen extensive military action it has stood there since the 11th century. Passed through many an owner’s hand to get to the modern day, it does not retain much of those former lords in its present state. Indeed, the inside shows where a well once was and a few trees illustrate the rest of the barren hilltop.
Nevertheless, the structure itself is so different to the surroundings, the aspiration of the original man in this area to conquer Mother Nature, that it is worth climbing up there. Though not particularly high or mighty, it was high and mighty enough to serve the purpose that those Dutch passed onto it.
And that is all it needed to do.
