Café in de oude Marenpoort

Some pubs don't need to be reinvented. Café In De Oude Marenpoort is exactly one of those places where the character of a classic Leiden pub takes center stage. On the Lange Mare, right by the Marekerk, you will find a traditional brown café that is often simply called the ‘MaPo’ by regulars.

Inside, it's all about the familiar café atmosphere: pull up a chair, order a drink, and see where the evening ends. No complicated concept, but a place where locals, students, and visitors to the city meet.

A name with Leiden history

The name In De Oude Marenpoort was not chosen at random. The Marenpoort, a gateway on the north side of the city as it was then, used to stand on this spot.

The first gate at this location was constructed at the beginning of the seventeenth century when a connection was established across the moat. Although that original gate did not remain standing here for long, the history of the place still lives on in the name of the café.

On the exterior, a gable stone also refers to this former city gate.

Terrace next to the Marekerk

In good weather, part of the café life moves outdoors. On the corner of Lange Mare and Oude Vest, the MaPo has a terrace where you sit right next to the Marekerk.

It is a place where you can easily stop for a moment during a walk through Leiden, but where a quick drink can just as easily turn into a longer afternoon or evening.

From a quiet drink to late evening

During the day and early evening, De Oude Marenpoort has the character of a classic neighborhood and city café. As it gets later, the atmosphere can change.

Especially on weekends, it gets livelier and there is room to dance. As a result, the MaPo has two sides: a traditional brown pub where you can have a quiet drink, but also a place where an evening can end up on a more festive note.

A real Leiden pub

De Oude Marenpoort does not try to be a modern cocktail bar or restaurant. It is precisely the pub atmosphere, the historic surroundings, and its firm place within Leiden's nightlife that give the café its own identity.

Anyone wishing to experience the feel of a classic local pub during a visit to Leiden will find an establishment here where history and daily pub life coexist very naturally.