Last week I finally visited the Naturalis museum in Leiden, and I can't believe I waited this long. The place is truly amazing.

Located not far from the central station (you just have to head in the opposite direction of the city, toward the Leiden University Medical Center) the museum is beautifully crafted and maintained. You enter through an impressive gift shop, and then climb one level to reach a long crosswalk that takes you to the actual museum, which is spread out over a number of floors. This crosswalk is full of wonderful pre-recorded animal sounds, and two giant rhinoceroses sit in the middle of everything, delighting passersby.

The exhibition halls are spectacular and well maintained. They are full of stuffed specimens of a huge variety of animals, both prehistoric and current day. And yes, there are dinosaur skeletons! They have a wonderful café on the ground floor, near the entrance. It's full of delicious food (cafeteria style) and is very popular with medical and scientific staff working nearby.

Naturalis is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00 (it is only closed four days a year, on 30 April, 3 October, 25 December and 1 January). It costs €11.00 for adults, but as usual, is free with the museum card.