Highlights of The Hague

The pearl called Delft

Discover the story of a city with a rich history: Delft! The city of William of Orange and Johannes Vermeer and the world famous Delft Blue. The presence of TU Delft makes Delft a real student city. You would say, there must be something to do there. Here are our favorites.

Museum Prinsenhof Delft

Delft

Of course the city of Delft comes first. The center of Delft is centuries old and very beautiful. Take a walk over the Oude Delft during sunrise and stop at number 167. This is the oldest building in Delft. The house was built in 1503 by Jan de Huyter. The Delfland Water Board has been located here since 1645. If you turn around now, you will see the leaning tower of the Old Church. From the beginning, the Old Church stood directly on the 'Delf', the old word for 'canal', from which Delft owes its name.

Museum Prinsenhof Delft

In this museum you walk through time, as it were, with the murder in 1584 of William of Orange as a dramatic highlight. The bullet holes are still in the wall as silent witnesses. The construction and settlement history of the Prinsenhof dates back to the early 1400s.

The grave of Johannes Vermeer.

The Old Church

This impressive Gothic basilica from 1246 is definitely worth a visit. Also look at the stained glass windows. The life's work of the renowned glazier Joep Nicolas. And of course there is the grave of Johannes Vermeer.

The New Church

The construction of The New Church took from the laying of the first stone in 1393, 300 years. The more than three thousand pipe organ is one of the three large organs built by Jonathan Bätz. This well-known Utrecht organ builder built them between 1837 and 1839. The mausoleum of William of Orange dates from 1623 and is still considered the finest example of funerary art from that time. Of course there are also the Royal Tombs. A total of 46 remains are currently in the cellars. The crypts are not open to the public due to the privacy of the Royal Family. The key keeper is the mayor of Delft.

Market

The Market in Delft is one of the largest historic market squares in Europe, measuring 120 by 50 meters. The market is held here every Saturday. The square is surrounded by terraces of restaurants and cafes. Wonderful to watch the people on a summer day. Delft is therefore the most Burgundian city in South-Holland.

Beestenmarkt

Not so long ago there was a livestock market here. Now, you run into the whole world. The Beestenmarkt is a real, both winter and summer, hot spot in. A meeting place for everyone. A good atmosphere, good food and drinks. The specialty beers that are brewed in Delft are definitely recommended.

Windmill De Roos

During a walk through Delft, the windmill De Roos is almost impossible to miss. De Roos is the only remaining mill of the 18 mills that have ever operated in Delft. Every week, the Rose grinds organic grain into flour using the power of the wind. You can view the mill from the inside, and you have a beautiful top deck view of Delft.

The East Gate at dawn.

The East Gate

The impressive East Gate is the only remaining city gate in Delft and definitely worth definitely worth for a walk and photo.

Around the year 1400 in Delft a city wall with eight gates was built. The city gates were the only entrances to Delft and therefore easily defended. Because of the high wall, gates, canals and ramparts, William of Orange chose Delft as his residence in 1572. The East Gate consists of a land gate and a water gate that are connected by the last remnants of the city wall of Delft.

De fabriek van Royal Delft.

Royal Delft

Royal Delft has been creating since 1653 high-quality Delft Blue. This age-old craft is passed on from generation to generation and iconic masterpieces are still completely handmade in Delft. In addition to classic pieces, the collection also consists of contemporary decorations. Do you want to know how authentic Delft Blue is made? Then visit the Royal Delft Museum.

TU Delft

Since 1842, TU Delft has left traces in the city. Be amazed by the architecture. Great! One of my favorites is the old university building of the Road and Hydraulic Engineering department at Oostplantsoen. Be sure to visit the campus as well.

Agnetapark

The Agnetapark is a collection of workers' houses located in small groups, each with its own garden. It belongs to the Top 100 of the National Agency for the Preservation of Monuments. The park area was bought in 1881 for 16,000 guilders by Jacques van Marken (1845-1906), director of the nearby Koninklijke Nederlandsche Gist- en Spiritusfabriek in Delft. The Agnetapark is located in the northwest of the city.