Is Delft Worth Visiting? Find Out Why It's a Must-See!

Skip Or Visit? We can easily list 10 reasons why Delft is worth visiting

After living in the Netherlands we discovered we take things for granted, such as how beautiful this country and its cities are. This is what happened with Delft. After many years we finally decided to revisit this Dutch city and were immediately reminded of how lovely and unique it is.

Delft is worth visiting for its charming canals, rich history, and famous Delft Blue pottery. The city offers historic architecture, vibrant cafes, and restaurants, and it was the hometown of the painter Vermeer. Its proximity to Rotterdam and The Hague makes it perfect for a day trip.

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Still wondering if Delft is worth visiting? Check out the 10 reasons why we think you definitely should…

1. Proximity to Rotterdam and The Hague

historic delft train station building located at a square — The old train station (now a restaurant) is located right next to the new one

Delft is conveniently located between Rotterdam and The Hague (Den Haag). If you are in one of these cities, you can be there within 15 minutes by train.

Amsterdam isn’t too far too. The intercity train leaves every 30 minutes and arrives in Delft within an hour.

The train is a great way to travel through the Netherlands, and we highly suggest going to Delft by train. For current timetables go to the official Dutch Railway Website.

delft train station main hall with stairs leading to the platforms, the ceiling has delft blue decorations — The new train station with Delft Blue touches

The beautiful Delft Blue-decorated train station is located just outside the historic center. You will be wandering along the canals within minutes of arriving in Delft.

As you can tell, it is pretty simple to get to Delft and to combine it with a visit to one of the bigger cities nearby such as Rotterdam or The Hague.

2. Perfect 1- Day Destination

flowers at a canal with on both sides old historic dutch houses. The old church with its leaning tower is located at the end of this canal — You can see the leaning tower of the Old Church along the *Oude Delft Canal*

The wonderful thing about Delft is that it is small. You can easily stroll through the many narrow streets, along the canals, and see its highlights in just a couple of hours.

This makes Delft worth visiting as a one-day visit trip. You will not feel rushed as everything is located close to each other.

a old historic building with many windows with red shutters located at a canal and a corner of the street, in front are many biked parked — The many beautiful buildings make Delft a special place

To fully experience Delft start in the morning, walk through the city, have lunch, and continue exploring while visiting one of the many museums. This will give you enough time to get a sense of its rich past.

If you wish to stay longer than just one day, this little city has many characterful accommodations.

3. Relaxing atmosphere

old dutch building with a old styled facade, now a shop

canal flowering along an outdoor terrece and the back of the new church in delft

You might think that Delft is a bit similar to Amsterdam, however once there you will immediately notice a more low-key atmosphere here.

Unlike the bigger cities in the Netherlands, this charming city has a small-town feel. The numerous cafes with outdoor terraces where people enjoy drinks and lunch, the lack of heavy traffic and crowds, and the people doing their own business make this city relaxing to visit.

trees on both side of the canal in delft where the streets are quiet and have beautiful historic building — The majority of the streets are perfect for pedestrians

4. Walkable City

As mentioned earlier, Delft is a small town that is very pedestrian-friendly. So be prepared to explore it on foot. Many of the best things to do in Delft are within walking distance of each other, so you can see a lot in a short amount of time.

woman walking past a big historical building located along the canal 'oude delft' in the city delft — The beautiful walkable streets make Delft worth visiting

Take a look at the map and you will realize it is pretty straightforward to navigate through the little streets. Most highlights are located around or near the Market Square (Markt).

But if you prefer following a route, check out the one we have created, or consider going for a free guided walking tour.

Many Delft walking tours provide a guide who can tell you everything about the city’s history and culture, often providing interesting anecdotes.

historic houses built at the water of the canal, with a street on the other side of the canal. Flower decorate the streets in Delft — The streets and canals make walking through the city a treat

Either way, you can’t go wrong. The city is picturesque as it is and you will find something beautiful around every corner.

We loved walking along the Oude Delft (one of the many canals). Cars are allowed to come here. Nevertheless, the streets were quiet and we could walk in the middle of the street without bothering the traffic.

Ok, we had to be careful of the bikes. But in the Netherlands, you have to watch out for them everywhere…

5. Beautiful Sights

the gothic church in delft is located at the main square in town, and is surrounded by old buildings. the renaissance styled city hall is located accross it — The *Nieuwe Kerk* Tower is the second-highest in the Netherlands

Delft is home to numerous historical sights. The New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) built in 1381 and the Old Church (Oude Kerk) built in 1246 are the two city’s iconic landmarks.

The leaning tower of the Old Church is most evident if you walk along the Oude Delft Canal (Old Delft Canal). This canal is just one of the many where you can find rows of characterful old houses dating back to the 1600s.

a bridge with bikes parked again the railing, at the end of the canal you can find the leaning tower of the oude kerk in delft — The leaning tower of the Old Church is a typical picture of Delft

Besides the impressive New Church at the Market Square, you have the City Hall located exactly across it.

If you have no fear of heights and don’t mind a challenge, you can climb up the 376 stairs to the top of the New Church tower, where you have a wonderful view of the City Hall and the rest of the city.

semi-aerial view of the delft city hall and its market square with its surrounding dutch historic buildings — View of the City Hall at the main square from the Nieuwe Kerk tower

Just outside the town center, you have the beautiful Renaissance-style Eastern Gate. Of the 8 city gates built in 1400, the Eastern Gate is the last remaining. Here you can enter the city over land or water.

If you haven’t seen a windmill up close yet, head to Windmill De Roos (The Rose). It is located close to the train station. A perfect highlight to start or end your visit to Delft.

woman posing on a bridge with in the background the city gates with entrances through the canal or over the cycle path that runs through the gate with two towers — Delft Eastern Gate within the city walls

Delft Eastern Gate within the city walls

6. Interesting Museums

For such a small city, Delft has a lot of interesting museums to choose from. The most popular is the Vermeer Centrum Delft. This museum offers insights into the life and work of the famous painter Vermeer. Delft was the hometown of Johannes Vermeer, where he was born and buried in the Old Church.

entrance to the vermeer centrum delft located within a beautiful historic building with yellow and grew shutters — Entrance to the musuem

woman placing her head into a picture of the girl with the pearl earring painting found outside the vermeer centrum in delft — Entrance to the musuem

all types of souvenirs with the picture of the girl with the pear earring such as mouse pad, cups and plates, tray, lens cloth — Enough souvenirs to take home with you…

At the Vermeer Centrum you can find all the painters’ work, however they are reproductions. If you want to see the world-famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, you need to head to the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

Another museum worth visiting is the Prinsenhof, located in a former monastery from around 1404. The building was also one of the residences of Willem of Orange, also known as Willem the Silent, who was assassinated here. The bullet holes are still found in a wall.

woman sitting on a seating area decorated with delft blue located in a garden of a former monastery in delft — Courtyard at the Prinsenhof musuem

historic building and tower in which the museum is located. Behind the building you can see the leaning tower of the old church in delft — Courtyard at the Prinsenhof musuem

Besides being set in a beautiful historic building with a lovely courtyard, this museum exhibits three main themes related to Delft: Delftware, Willem of Orange, and Delft Masters.

7. The Place of Delfts Blue

delft blue porcelain statues of a dutch famers couple

tulip vase decorated with delft blue sold at the delft blue museum shop for 7140 euro

old factory building in delft with the name 'de porcelyne fles' (the porcelain bottle) on the facade — The Royal Delft Museum is found in the old Delft Blue Factory

Six cities in the Netherlands including Delft were appointed as headquarters for the Dutch East India Commerce in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Delft prospered considerably as a city.

In that period artists were inspired by the porcelain that arrived from China. Soon after the Delftware was created and is today still a valuable Dutch product.

During the Royal Delft Factory tour, you can learn about the history and production process of the famous Delft Blue. The museum is located within the original factory and showcases a collection of Delft Blue pieces from various periods.

In the city center, you can find many other ateliers/factories besides the Royal Delft Factory. Here, you can also see artists creating traditional handmade Delft Blue.

8. Unique Places to Eat

Delft is the place to enjoy lunch or dinner in a unique setting. Franchises or international fast-food chains are not found here. No, in Delft you find characterful restaurants with a tasty menu.

Many places are set in traditional Dutch buildings or along a canal that provides a wonderful eating experience…

people enjoying drinks and lunch on a outdoor terrace nearby other restaurants and cafes with the nieuwe kerk towering in the background — When the sun is out, have lunch at an outdoor terrace

people enjoying lunch on a boat terrace floating in one of the canals in delft — When the sun is out, have lunch at an outdoor terrace

You can find places everywhere in town open for lunch or dinner only. Larger restaurants, such as those at the Market Square and Beestenmarkt are often open the whole day.

The menu often offers International and Dutch dishes. From luxury sandwiches to the typical Dutch favorites such as Uitsmijter (egg on bread), Kroket, and delicious Dutch pancakes with all kinds of toppings for lunch.

lunch place with signs outside indicating they serve lunch, coffee, tea, juice, smoothis and homemade applepie. But they also sell presents and curiosa — Lunch, cakes, coffee, and a cozy place to sit at Koffie & Zo

And for dinner? Enjoy Dutch cafe food or go for a culinary treat at places such as Spijshuis de Dis.

Do you love beer? Check out the many beer breweries in town such as the Delft Brouwhuis & Biertuin or De Koperen Kat.

9. Local Shops

delft blue antique store located in a beautiful historic building in delft — Antique store ‘Blauwe Roos’ (Blue Rose)

Just like the places to eat, Delft has a large selection of unique shops. Again there are no huge international chains here. Around the main square, you can find boutiques, antique shops, cheese and chocolate shops, and Delft Blue pottery in all shapes and sizes.

For a local shopping experience visit Delft on the market days which are on Thursday and Saturday. On Thursdays, there is also the flower market at the Brabantse Turfmarkt.

heinen delft blue store with all kinds of delft blue products such as postcards, teapots, cups and saucer, vases and so on — Unique Delftware at the Heinen Delfts Blauw Concept Store

Additionally, every Saturday from April until October there is a flea market where you can hunt for precious antiques, curiosa, and books. You can find market stalls around town such as at the Old Church, the City Hall, and along the canals.

Looking for a typical Dutch souvenir? Then you can find the ‘I ❤️ The Netherlands’ t-shirts, wooden tulips, bags and more here too. There are enough souvenir shops to choose from.

flower shop in delft with colourful display of flower, pots and candles — Local flower shop

window shop with a display of women cloths set in a old historc delft building — Local flower shop

10. Small Canal Tours

You can not visit the Netherlands without going on a canal tour. In Amsterdam, there are dozens of tour boats cruising through the canals. In Delft, it is more quiet and smaller creating a relaxing experience.

You can either choose the ‘large’ canal tour boats that provide a guide that speaks several languages.

canal tour boat with open glass ceiling, passenger enjoying the tours through the canal with the delft old church in the background — Canal Tour cruising through the old parts of Delft

However, you can also go for something smaller with a private skipper at Canal Hopper Delft. When you call them for more information they are likely to be able to speak English. But ask if the skipper can speak English too.

Boat tours offer a unique view of the city, allowing you to admire the hundred-year-old architecture from the water. As you cruise along the canals, you’ll learn about the history and see parts of the city you are unlikely to see independently on foot.

Conclusion: Is Delft Worth Visiting?

woman and man posing in front of the east gate (bridge and towers) in Delft — Delft was a pleasant surprise for both of us

In conclusion, Delft is absolutely worth visiting. Its blend of history, culture, and relaxed atmosphere makes it a unique destination in the Netherlands. Whether you’re interested in art, architecture, shopping, or simply soaking up the ambiance of a traditional Dutch town.

While we love visiting Amsterdam, we prefer wandering through the quiet streets of Delft, which makes it perfect for admiring its beauty. This is often impossible in popular Amsterdam.

We highly recommend adding a one-day visit to Delft to your Netherlands itinerary, even if it is your first time visiting this country.

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