A photo tour of Delft, south Holland

Last spring we paid a short visit to the town of Delft, in south Holland. Although we could have stayed longer, the town’s narrow, canal-lined streets were easy to stroll around in just a few hours.

Here are some of my favourite photographs from the trip.

Delft dates from the 11th century, and is full of olde-worlde charm.

There’s a real buzz to the town on market days (Thursdays and Saturdays), with busy canalside cafes and restaurants full of visitors and locals. The market takes place in the ‘Markt’, or the town square, in the shadow of the grand Stadhuis (town hall).

In the spring and summer, an antiques market lines up along the side of the canals in the town centre, with everything from quirky paintings to brass ornaments on sale.

Delft is the birthplace of artist Johannes Vermeer, who painted Girl with a Pearl Earring. If we’d had longer there, we’d have paid a visit to the Vermeer Centrum Delft, which gives a glimpse of his studio, and of what it would have been like for the artist, living in 17th Century Holland.

If you’re looking for tradition, in Delft it’s everywhere, from the imposing Niewe Kerke to the wrought-iron street lamps, and the  street organs piping out merry tunes.

Delft is home of the distinctive blue-and-white Delft pottery, developed in the 17th Century from Chinese influences. If there’s room in your car, you can pick some up in one of the town’s many workshops and studios.

Make sure you leave some space for cheese, too. Much of it comes from neighbouring Gouda (which you can read about here).

Like the rest of south Holland (which I’ve posted about here), we found Delft to be a relaxed, enjoyable, child-friendly place. Hopefully we’ll return one day.

If you like this, you might also enjoy:

A week at Strandpark Vlugtenburg, south Holland

Six stops on a south Holland road trip

A morning at Gouda cheese market

Windmills at Kinderdijk, near Rotterdam in Holland

Music boxes and Old Masters at the Mauritshuis Museum, the Hague

Family fun at Duinrell Wassenaar

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