10km (6 miles) SE of The Hague; 14km (9 miles) NW of Rotterdam; 35km (22 miles) W of Gouda; 30km (19 miles) SW of Leiden; 55km (34 miles) SW of Amsterdam
Delft is perhaps the prettiest little town in all of Holland. The facades of the Renaissance and Gothic houses here reflect age-old beauty, and a sense of tranquillity pervades the air. Indeed, it's easy to understand why Vermeer chose to spend most of his life surrounded by Delft's gentle beauty. It remains quiet, with flower boxes (and plenty more in the flower market on Hippolytusbuurt) and linden trees bending over its gracious canals.
A good part of Holland's history is preserved in the tombs of Delft. William the Silent, who led the Dutch insurrection against Spanish rule, was assassinated in the Prinsenhof and now rests in a magnificent tomb in the Nieuwe Kerk; and every member of the House of Orange-Nassau since King Willem I has been brought here for burial as well. Delft is the final resting place of someone named Karl Naudorff, who is suspected of being Louis XVII, dauphin of France. And two of Holland's greatest naval figures, admirals Tromp and Heyn, are entombed in the Oude Kerk.
Of course, to many visitors, Delft means just one thing -- the distinctive blue-and-white earthenware still produced by the meticulous methods of old. Every piece of true Delftware is hand-painted by skilled craftspeople. A different Delft exists on the modern campus of the town's Technical University, noted for the excellence of its scientist and engineer graduates, among the latter being many of the world-class Dutch hydraulic engineers.
