De Vliet, located along the Vlietweg in Leiden, marks the historic spot where the Pilgrims departed from the city.

In 1620, they sailed down the Vliet canal toward Delfshaven, where the Speedwell was waiting to carry them to England before they continued to the New World aboard the Mayflower.

A stone monument by artist Gert van der Woude, erected in 2003, commemorates this journey.

It symbolizes the bold and uncertain step the Pilgrims took when leaving for the New World, and its pedestal bears the names of Leiden Pilgrims who made the crossing between 1620 and 1647.

The Vliet itself is a historic canal running through the western Netherlands, connecting Leiden to Delft and passing through towns such as Voorschoten, Leidschendam, and Voorburg.