Things To Do in Delft
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Delft Attractions
The best way to absorb Delft's special ambience is by strolling the streets. Around every corner and down every street, you step into a scene that might have been composed for the canvas of a great artist. Supplement your walks with a leisurely tour of the canals via the numerous water taxis that operate during the summer. The town's large main square, the Markt, is a zoo on market day (Thurs), but on quieter days you get space to see how picturesque it is.
Historic Churches
Two church spires grace the Delft skyline. One belongs to the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Markt, which isn't all that new, since it was begun in 1383 and finally completed in 1510. The other, slightly leaning spire is attached to the Oude Kerk (Old Church), Heilige Geestkerkhof (tel. 015/212-3015; www.oudekerk-delft.nl), founded around 1200, and dating mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries. The tower is embellished with four corner turrets and is noted for its 27 stained-glass windows by Joep Nicolas. Inside are the tombs of the artist Jan Vermeer and his family, and his friend Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope (and perhaps on occasion Vermeer's model).
De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles
If you love Delftware porcelain, you’ll be in heaven at the Royal Delft workshop. A visit to the factory entails a firsthand view of the business of painting porcelain; a visit to the Delft museum, which features antique, multi-spouted tulip vases; and the obligatory showroom where…- Religious Site
Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
The fine spire that graces the Delft skyline belongs to the New Church, which isn’t new at all—it was begun in 1383 and completed in 1510. Inside is the magnificent tomb of William of Orange; it was designed by Hendrick de Keyser and is decorated with a sculpture of William in full… - Museum
Stedelijk (Municipal) Museum Het Prinsenhof
The Prinsenhof (Prince’s Court), on the banks of Delft’s oldest canal, Oude Delft, dates from the late 1400s and was originally a convent backed by tranquil gardens that make a pleasant spot to wander. William of Orange, the “Father of the Dutch Nation,” maintained his battle HQ here…
Delft Shopping
Genuine Delftware is for sale in specialized stores through The Netherlands. Production methods have changed little down the centuries and most of the decorating is still done by hand, which of course accounts for the breathtaking price tags. Some copies of Delftware nearly equal its quality, while most miss the delicacy of the brush strokes, the richness of color, or the sheen of the glazes that make this porcelain so highly prized.
To be sure that you’re looking at a real Delft item look at the bottom of the piece. De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles will have a distinctive 3-part hallmark: an outline of a small pot, above an initial “J” crossed with a short stroke, above the scripted word DELFT. For De Delftse Pauw, look for three blue stars separated by a drafting compass, above the scripted text D.P. DELFT. And for De Candelaer, there will be the company’s candle-and-candlestick symbol, the scripted text D.C. DELFT, and the initials of the artist.
