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Delft

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Delft [1] is in the Netherlands. Its a beautiful, unspoiled town with traditional architecture, canals, bikes, and the world famous blue and white ceramics.

Culture and History

Delft is more than 750 years old. Its name is derived from 'delven' which means digging. Delfts oldest canal is called The Old Delft (de Oude Delft). In 1246 Delft got city rights, granted by Holland's Duke William II. Delft grew prosperous and new neighbourhoods were added to the city. In 1355 it reached the size it would remain at until the 1900s.

In 1536 a big fire destroyed 2300 houses. Most likely lightning struck the tower of The New Church. About 100 years later, in 1654, an explosion destroyed large parts of town; a warehouse with 80,000 pounds of gunpowder blew up. A new warehouse (Kruithuis) was later built, outside the city perimeter.

Delft has long been a centre of art and science. With the foundation of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) in 1602, Delft also became a trading center. The VOC was at one time the largest trading company in the world, with a huge fleet and offices all over Asia. One of the Dutch offices was in Delft.

In 1842 the Royal Academy for Civil Engineering (Koninklijke Acedemie voor Burgerlijke Ingenieurs) is founded. Nowadays know as Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) it is Delfts biggest employer. About 13.000 students study in Delft.

Travel to Delft & Visa Requirements

By train

Delft has two railway stations: Delft (near the city center and best connection towards the universtity) and Delft Zuid (Delft southern parts). (Direct) train connections run from:

  • Den Haag Central Station or Hollands Spoor(10 mins, €2)
  • Schiphol Airport (45 mins, €8) (the train from Schiphol does not stop in Delft, one needs to change train in Leiden or Den Haag HS).
  • Amsterdam (1 hour, €11)
  • Rotterdam (15 mins, €3)

By tram

Delft is a short tram ride from Den Haag by tram. Tramlijn 1 which runs from Scheveningen, through the center of Den Haag and Den Haag HS to Delft is the appropriate line. Travelling time is approximately 20 minutes from the center of Den Haag to the center of Delft. From Scheveningen to Delft takes about 45 min.

By car

Delft is easily reached by car. Coming from Amsterdam or Schiphol, it is at the end of the A4 motorway; coming from Rotterdam, Delft has several exits off the A13 motorway. The old city center has been made largely car-free, but there are two large parking houses at the edge of the center (Zuidpoortgarage and Phoenixgarage). Those parking houses is expensive, but parking on the few public parking spaces on the streets in or near the city center can be even more expensive. Beware of the signs "alleen vergunninghouders" (only permit holders) in some streets in the vicinity of the city center, especially in residential areas. Unauthorized parking in those streets will cost you about €60. If you do not bother a 15 minutes walk, consider to park for free in the university area. Usually in the weekends there is a lot of free parking space.

Buses to Delft

Buses from Den Haag and Rotterdam terminate at the Delft bus terminal, which is located in front of Delft railway station. Tram line 1 from Den Haag (HS) runs to Delft and has stops near the city center and railway station.

Tours & Getting around Delft

Walk - the centre is small enough to walk across in ten minutes. If you want to go further, hire a bike near the railway station or take a bus. Tram no 1. connects the center and station.

Delft attractions and sightseeing

Inside visits

  • Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Markt 80, +31 15 2123025, [2]. Closed on sundays. Located on the Markt square, this church was built in 1496. The royal burial chamber is located in this church. Prince William of Orange was the first to be buried here, after being shot in 1584. It is possible to climb the 108,75 meter tower to get a impressive view of Delft and surroundings. €3 (€2,50 extra to climb the tower), with free entrance to the Old Church
  • Oude Kerk (Old Church), Heilige Geestkerkhof 25, +31 15 2123015, [3]. Closed on sundays. This is Delfts oldest Church, being built in 1246. The interior of this church is excellent. Famous Dutchmen are buried in this church, including: Piet Hein, Maerten Tromp and Johannes Vermeer. €3, with free entrance to the New Church
  • De Prinsenhof, Sint Agathaplein 1, +31 15 2602358, [4]. Open M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa,Su 1PM-5PM. In medieval Delft Sint Agathaklooster was the biggest cloister in Delft. After 1650 it was split in two parts. Part of the chapel remained for religious service (Waalse Kerk). Prince William of Orange held court in the rest of the complex. He was killed here in 1584. Nowadays the complex houses some musea, including the city museum. €7,50.
  • Synagoge, Koornmarkt 12, +31 15 2563371. Open Jun-Oct only on sat 14-17. This former synagogue was built in 1862 as temple, to a design of Ir. Leon Winkel. The building houses a permanent exposition to the remembrance of the Jewish victims in WWII.
  • Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft factory), Rotterdamseweg 196, +31 15 2512030, [5]. Open 9-17. Around 1750 32 porcelain factories were located in Delft. Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles is the only factory remaining from that era. It is possible to visit the factory or to participate in a workshop. Guided tour €4.
  • De Candelaer, Kerkstraat 13, +31 15 2131848, [6]. De Candelaer is a little porcelain factory in the inner city. It is possible to visit De Candelear.
  • Molen de Roos (windmill), Phoenixstraat 112, +31 71 5012672. It is possible to visit the mill if the blue flag is flying. For a group visit, call ahead.
  • Artilleriemagazijn( Artillery Depot), Paardenmarkt 1. As a result of the reformation, around 1572, many cloisters were abandoned. This happened to the Clarissenklooster as well. It became a warehouse for sulphur, saltpeter and canons. In 1637 a small tower for firepowder was built. In 1654 this tower exploded, destroying a large part of the city. After this it was rebuilt.
  • Universiteitsbibliotheek (University Library), Prometheusplein 1, +31 15 2785678 [7]. Between the Mekelweg and the Schoemakerstraat sits one of the largest technical libraries of Europe. It is housed in a glass building, with a sloping grass roof penetrated by a concrete cone. Free entrance during opening hours.
  • Armamentarium, Korte Geer 1, +31 15 2150500 [8]. Open 10-17. Its location made Delft a good place for a central weapons warehouse. In 1601 a large warehouse was built. It is a very beautiful building. Nowadays it houses the army museum. €6.
  • Serpo, Stationsplein 8, +31 15 2122184, [9]. Open M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-6PM. This is a small reptile zoo. €6,60.
  • Botanische Tuin (Botanical Garden), Julianalaan 67, +31 15 2782356, [10]. Open mon-fri 8:30AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-4PM, Su (only May-Sep) 12PM-4PM. The botanical garden of Delft University houses a large collection of 'utility' plants, both in greenhouses and a nicely laid out park. Good place to spend a few quiet hours on a sunny afternoon. €2, free for TU Delft students.
  • Techniekmuseum (Technology Museum), Ezelsveldlaan 62, +31 15 2785200 [11]. Open Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, sun 12PM-5PM. This museum, run by Delft University, is housed in a beautiful building. It displays a wide range of historical engines, as well as the history of the calculator. Activities aimed at children are organized regularly. €2,30.

Subjects for a city walk

  • Almshouses
    • Hofje van Gratie, Van der Mastenstraat 26-38. This was a hofje for single women, founded in 1575 by Pieter Sasbout. Originally situated on Korte Geer, but with expansion of the Armamentarium it was relocated to its current location.
    • Hofje van Pauw, Paardenmarkt 54-62. This hofje was built in 1707 as stated in the will of Elizabeth Pauw.
    • Klaeuwshofje, Oranje Plantage 58-77. This hofje was meant for unmarried or widowed catholic women. It was founded in 1605 by Dirck and Elizabeth Uyttenhage.
  • Stadhuis (Town Hall), Markt 78. After a fire in 1618 after which only the tower remained, Hendrick de Keyser rebuilt the town hall. He reused the tower and some remaining walls. In 1620 construction was finished. The building has been renovated in the 19th century.
  • Vleeshal (Meat Hall), Voldersgracht 1. Built in 1650. It is one of the only Hollands Classical buildings in Delft. Originally a meat market, later it was converted for wheat. Nowadays it is a youth society. It is possible to eat here for a modest price (around €4).
  • Visbanken (Fish Trade), Cameretten. Fish market, on of the oldest shops in the world.
  • VOC-Huis (Dutch East India Company House), Oude Delft 39. The VOC consisted of 6 chambers. One of them was located in Delft. Part of the sea harbour of Rotterdam belonged to Delft at that time.
  • Oostpoort (East Gate), Oostpoort 1. Eastern gate to the city, built around 1400 and of the four original gates the only surviving one. Small building. It looks kind of cute. It is not on the famous painting by Vermeer (because that's the South Gate), as many tourists wrongly think.
  • Agnetapark, Agnetapark. Just northwest, 10 minutes of walking outside the inner city, this small park was built around 1880 by a local factory principal for his workers. It contains small working-class cottages and is a state monument since 1989.

Delft city tours

  • Stroll through town
  • Climb New Churches tower
  • Visit De Porceleyne Fles, or take a workshop
  • Rent a bike and visit De Delftse Hout, a park/leisure area to the east of Delft. Cycle through the woods, sail on the lake, have a picnick, walk through the arboretum
  • Visit the Antique Markets around the streets and canals of Central Delft , every Saturday, April - October (free to visit)
  • Listen to music, read a magazine or drink a glass of fresh made orange juice in one of the world's most modern libraries, the DOK Library Concept Center (Vesteplein 100) [12] (free to visit)

Lectures

  • Every week, Studium Generale organises lectures on a wide range of subjects. Usually these are in Dutch, but roughly once a month there may be one in English too. The lectures aim at the interest of students, but other people interested may often attend as well. Admission is usually free [13].

Theatres and cinemas

  • There are a few theaters in the inner city; Theater de Veste, Vesteplein 1 [14] is the largest theater, with shows almost every night. The Microtheater, next to the New Church is a small theater with around one show per week.
  • There are two cinemas in Delft. Filmhuis Lumen, Doelenplein 5 [15], shows mostly cultural and foreign movies. MustSee Delft, Vesteplein 5 [16], is a new cinema near the Theater de Veste in the Zuidpoort (big screen, large seats).

City tours