In the Netherlands, along with the famous centers of tourism, such as The Hague and Leiden, there are many small towns that are also of interest to travelers. Among the attractions of Delft are many historical monuments and ancient buildings, shrouded in legend. Tourists are enticed by the picturesque canals and the opportunity to wander through the old streets, stopping along the way in small cozy coffee houses.
Another attraction was the blue and white Delft tile, well known around the world. It was used to decorate the stoves in the homes of the nobility and the imperial palaces. All this splendor can be seen on guided tours and during self-guided walks in the old and somewhat patriarchal Delft.
Top 5 attractions in Delft
You can come to Delft for a day from The Hague, spending just 40 minutes on the road, enjoying the magnificent scenery or take 2-3 days to slowly walk around the city, looking at the amazing monuments of the past. During the 750 years of the city’s existence a lot of them have accumulated.
Prinsenhof Palace
This building has gone through several reconstructions. It was originally built as a monastery of St. John the Baptist. Agatha. In the 15th century the Gothic style was already in vogue, but the architects managed to avoid the abundance of overly sharp spires and turrets, the building came out strict and proportionate. A century later it was redesigned as a palace for Prince William of Orange, who became the ancestor of the ruling Orange-Nassau dynasty. In one of the rooms of the palace, the prince was shot by a hired assassin. It is claimed that a pale ghost of a murdered man sometimes appears in the Hall of Death, silently shaking his head.
The castle is recognized as a historical monument and turned into a museum. One of the exhibitions is devoted to the life of the prince, the second to the history of the city and its prominent inhabitants, the third to a collection of porcelain dishes, figurines, paintings of the 16th and 18th centuries, and luxury items.
Old Church
One of the oldest temples was built on the site of a small chapel, which dates back to the 11th century. It was decided not to demolish the building, and to expand and rebuild it, which was done in 1246. The tower was completed by the 14th century, bringing the height of its walls to 75 meters. Because the construction was started on the site of an old canal, the swampy soil distorted the foundations and the tower was inclined. They tried to level it out by deflecting the tiers and stabilized it, but its silhouette was far from ideal.
On the bell tower is a huge bell, it weighs 9 tons and rings only at the funeral of a member of the royal family.
The interior of the Audeckerk has three organs installed at once. The original stained glass windows did not survive, some were destroyed in a fire, and the remains were lost in an explosion in a gunpowder warehouse. Modern examples were created in the 20th century. The old church is on the list of the most popular tourist sites in the city.
New Church
The spire of the bell tower rose to 109 meters and can be seen from afar. It was called new by people with a good sense of humor, because the construction dates back to the 14th century. There is a theory that the name arose in opposition to the Old Church, which at the time of the construction of the Church of St. John the Baptist. Ursula was already in town.
The height of the tower constantly attracts lightning, and more than once they have struck the spire, causing fires. But the church is being persistently restored, returning it to its original appearance. In the interior is the tomb of the royal family of the Netherlands. William of Orange was buried there first, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernard last.
The entrance to the family tomb is closed to the public.
On the upper tier of the temple is an observation deck, where you can clearly see the surroundings, and on a clear day is clearly visible high-rise buildings of The Hague and Rotterdam.
Royal Porcelain Manufactory
The technology of making Delft and Chinese porcelain is very similar, the difference lies in the proportions of raw materials and the firing mode. The factory has preserved the traditions and patterns of painting since 1653. There are guided tours through the workshops, if audio-guides in several languages, telling about the history of porcelain development, the outstanding masters, the intricacies of creating patterns. Masters go through a long path of apprenticeship length of 10 years and only the most talented achieve the title of master and are allowed to paint products, which are then put a quality mark.
On the territory of the factory there is a museum, where you can see the stages of porcelain production from copying paintings and firing methods from Chinese samples to the appearance of unique works of art, created for the memorable dates of the royal family.
Old Canal
The canal network was originally included in the layout of the city, first serving a defense and transportation function, but now it has become another landmark of Delft in the Netherlands.
Pleasant walks along the Old Canal are very popular among locals and tourists, because this is where the old houses in the Gothic style are concentrated. The most famous is considered Gemeeland with coats of arms on the facade. For those who are too lazy to walk, there are always pleasure boats and water cab, which can be called by phone to any point on the canal.
Find Delft sights on the map
The main monuments and museums are located closer to the center and they can be bypassed on foot without resorting to transport. Tourist map will help to plan an independent trip to Delft according to the interests, to outline the order of their visit. Most of the routes begin at the town hall and include, in addition to the most famous sights, a visit to the city:
- of the Lambert van Meerten Museum Complex;
- the monument to Hugo Grotius;
- Vermeer’s center;
- military museum;
- the grave of the great impostor Karl-Wilhelm Naundorf.
As a souvenir are perfect statuettes and painted dishes sold in stores and shopping pavilions along the canals.
