When I try to imagine a pleasant place that is full of life, history, and wonderful people, Delft immediately comes to mind. I spent 5 weeks there and was thoroughly enchanted. It has beautiful historic architecture, many pedestrian zones, plenty of good restaurants, and excellent outdoor markets. It also is bicycle friendly with its many bike paths that crisscross the city, keeping the cyclists far away from the motor vehicles. It is so bicycle friendly that an overwhelming majority of the population choose to get around by bicycle rather than by car. Whole families can be seen riding together. I can sincerely say that it is well worth visiting Delft.
A Little History:
In the early Middle Ages a tiny settlement formed along a newly constructed canal a few miles south of the North Sea. The settlement eventually grew to become the village of Delft. Over the years, as trade and industry increased along the canal, Delft grew into an important market town. On 15 April 1246 Delft was granted a city charter.
In 1389 the Delfshavensche Schie canal was completed. It connected Delft’s original canal to the river Maas, thus providing a passage from Delft to the North Sea. Almost immediately Delft’s importance for trade ballooned. The population of Delft grew rapidly in the next three centuries, reaching 6,500 in 1400 and 28,000 in 1560.
By 1584 Delft had become prominent in the field of printing. Shortly later its tapestry industry flourished and then less than 100 years later Delft became renown for the manufacture of Delft Blue china.
What to do during your stay in Delft:
1. Visit Markt (Delft's central square)
This fantastic market square (actually a rectangle) is surrounded by beautiful historic buildings and is one of the largest historic market squares in Europe. At one end is the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which was constructed between 1381 and 1496. At the opposite end is the Stadhuis Delft (Delft City Hall) whose tower was originally built around 1300 and the entire building was restored in the 20th century to its earlier Renaissance design. Along the longer sides of the square are numerous shops and restaurants bustling with activity.
An extensive outdoor market is held here every Thursday. A wide range of products from fruits and vegetables, to meats, cheeses, flowers, clothing, carpets, kitchen gadgets, and bicycle accessories can be purchased here. There has been a Thursday market here since the 13th century. On the other days, usually on weekends, the square hosts a variety of performances and events, particularly family-oriented events.
The Stadhuis Delft is popular for weddings and its interior has been lavishly restored. Buried in the Nieuwe Kerk are the Dutch golden age painter Johannes Vermeer and the “father of microbiology” Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.
2. Stroll through the historical center of Delft
Delft is a very quaint, picturesque city, perfect for leisurely strolls. The many canals and historic architecture add a great deal of character to the city. (Note: In spring and early summer the skies are often cloudy and sometimes there is rain, so if you visit at that time of year be sure to bring an umbrella. As you can see from the photos below, it was often cloudy. But when the sun comes out, Delft is even more beautiful!)
3. Visit the Vermeer Center
The Vermeer Center (also known as the Vermeer Museum) provides a great deal of information about the painter Johannes Vermeer. It is located on Voldersgracht 21, just outside of Markt square. The building had once been used as the meeting place for the guild for painters and other artists. The museum includes copies of some of Vermeer’s works. On display are some of the tools he used and explanations of his impressive techniques. The museum also provides an excellent multi-media exhibition describing the history of Delft during the lifetime of Vermeer.
4. Take a self-guided tour of Delft's canals and waterways
An excellent map with a description of a self-guided tour of Delft’s canals and waterways is available at:
www.indelft.nl/en/routes/1266326888/delft-waterways-and-the-compartmentable-city-centre-canal-system
The tour includes seeing the “Het Huyterhuis” which is the original headquarters of the Delfland Water Authority. The Delfland Water authority was established in 1289 and focuses on the following:
- Keeping the residential and commercial areas of the Delfland region (which includes Delft) dry
- Managing the water levels of the canals and dikes
- Treating waste water
The Delfland region was affected by flooding in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Research has determined the flooding was primarily due to the following:
- The higher temperatures due to climate change has significantly increased precipitation
- The construction of buildings has placed too heavy a load on the underlying soil which has resulted in ground subsidence
- The extensive paved surfaces (roads, sidewalks, etc.) prevent much of the rain water from being absorbed by the soils
5. Take a self-guided ceramics walk
Delft ceramics with its very attractive blue coloration is much admired throughout the world for its excellent qualities. The self-guided tours take you to some of the interesting and creative tributes to Delft ceramics. Some are quite humorous.
A map and description of a self-guided tour focusing on Delft’s ceramics is available at:
www.indelft.nl/en/routes/1253156523/ceramic-route
One of the highlights on the tour is the Ceramic Map of Delft, located in Papenstraat. This map, made of mosaics and ceramics and completed in 2020, is of 17th century Delft, when the Netherlands experienced its “golden age”. It was a brainchild of artist Nan Deardorff McClain who was also the project coordinator. The research and construction involved more than 500 participants and the map was designed and constructed in two years using more than a thousand mosaic pieces. For details, see:
smashing-tiles.com/2020/10/29/
in directory: /we-did-it-de-keramieken-kaart-van-delft-ceramic-map-of-delftis-complete-and-officially-unveiled/
Another highlight is a tile tableau above the Heinen Delfts Blauw ceramics store located at Markt 45. It was designed by artist Adolf Le Comte (1850-1921) and dates to 1886. The tableau shows children carrying out the tile making process.
The self-guided tour also includes the Bonte Ossteeg. This ceramic mural, located in an alley off of Markt square, was created in 2013 by artist Hugo Kaagman. It incorporates several images associated with Delft. These include: the girl from Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, windmills, flowers, bicycles, historical figures and historical landmarks in Delft.
6. Visit the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft Museum and Factory)
The earliest Delft ceramics were based on techniques learned from Italian potters, probably in the late 16th century. But when the Dutch began trading with Asia in the early 1600s, they encountered beautiful ceramics from China. Soon the Delft potters began to emulate some of the Chinese techniques.
The heyday of Delft ceramics was during the Dutch golden age in the 17th century when Delft once had more than 30 ceramics factories. But now only the De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles remains. It still produces world renown beautiful ceramics and the building where the factory is located also includes a ceramics museum and a gift shop. A visit to the museum, which includes a tour of the factory, is absolutely a worthwhile experience.
7. Visit the outdoor markets
The Delft outdoor markets are among the best I’ve seen in Europe (nothing in the U.S. even comes close). There are two main markets in the historic district: one located at Markt square, and one located at Beestenmarkt. The outdoor market on Markt square is open every Thursday and has approximately 150 stalls. The outdoor market at Beestenmarkt is open every Saturday and has more than 50 stalls. There is also an antiques outdoor market every Saturday along the canals near Markt square.
8. Visit the windmill museum
Delft once had 18 working windmills, but now only one remains. This remaining working windmill is known as the Molen de Roos and it is located a short distance up the street north of the train station. It was constructed in Delft in 1679 but was closed for many years until it was renovated this century. It opened again to the public in February of 2015.
There is no entrance fee and signs explain the windmill’s functioning parts and the process of grinding the grain to flour. The pleasant staff seemed pleased to answer questions and provide a general overview of the individual processes.
At the street level there is a shop where you can buy sourdough bread, buns, and biscuits made from the flour ground at the mill.
9. Enjoy eating or having a drink outdoors
Delft has many good restaurants and lots of outdoor dining. Most places have huge umbrellas over the tables as well as heaters so for much of the year you can still enjoy eating outdoors. And believe me, the ambiance is excellent!
10. Take wonderful day trips
There are so many interesting places to visit in The Netherlands and they are so convenient to get to from Delft. I took several day trips during my stay and thoroughly enjoyed them.
I need to mention here that the rail system in the Netherlands is outstanding! You can easily visit much of Netherlands from Delft within a reasonably short train ride and at reasonable cost. In fact, the train system is so good that I never bothered to look into long distance bus service or car rentals.
The following places are definitely worth a visit:
- Rotterdam (14 minutes each way by train)
- Den Haag (14 minutes each way by train)
- Amsterdam (1 hour each way by train)
- Leiden (21 minutes each way by train)
- Haarlem (42 minutes each way by train)
- Dordrecht (39 minutes each way by train)
Tourist information office:
The tourist information office is located in the Delft train station. The office provides free maps and excellent information about local attractions
Restaurants:
- India Garden Tandoori Restaurant – Kerkstraat 15, Delft
- Fish & Chips – Markt 81, Delft
- Fratelli Delft – Beestenmarkt 14, Delft
- GRK & ZO – Verwersdijk 32, Delft
Train and Bus Information:
- The Delft train station is located across from Westvest road, just a few minutes walk southeast from the historic center.
- The bus station is located next to the train station. (You can’t miss it. You will see several buses arriving or waiting to depart.)
- You can see schedules and buy tickets at the bus and train stations or you can use one of the following apps or web sites:
(buses and trains) www.rome2rio.com or Rome2Rio app
(trains) www.ns.nl/en or the NS app