# Delft Narrow canals, the Markt between two churches, Vermeer's tomb and the last blue pottery factory. An hour by train from Amsterdam and minutes from The Hague. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/delft · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Delft is the perfect small city of the Netherlands: narrow canals with stone bridges, a main square between a Renaissance town hall and a Gothic church, and a history that weighs more than its size. Johannes Vermeer lived and painted here, William of Orange, father of the nation, is buried here, and the blue pottery that imitated Chinese porcelain was invented here. You can see it in a day from Amsterdam, but it is even better as a base for The Hague and Rotterdam, a few minutes away by train. ## How do I get there from Amsterdam? By train: about an hour from Amsterdam Centraal, with direct trains that pass through Schiphol. From Delft station, it is ten minutes on foot to the Markt. You pay by tapping a contactless card when you enter and when you leave. Driving makes no sense: the centre is pedestrianised and parking is expensive. ## What to see in a day? Start in the Markt and climb the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk, with views as far as The Hague; inside is the mausoleum of William of Orange. The combined ticket (€15) also includes the Oude Kerk, the old church with the leaning tower, where Vermeer is buried. Both open Monday to Saturday; Sunday is for services. In between, drop in at the Vermeer Centrum, which explains the painter in his own city, and have lunch on the terrace of the Stads-Koffyhuis on the Oude Delft. In the afternoon, from April to October, take the canal boat, and if you are interested in pottery, visit Royal Delft, the last Delftware factory, where every piece is hand-painted. End the walk around the Markt and the canals in the Beestenmarkt, with dinner at Spijshuis de Dis. ## Where are Vermeer's paintings? Not in Delft. View of Delft and Girl with a Pearl Earring are in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, ten minutes away by train; The Milkmaid is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Delft gives you the context: the city he painted, his tomb and the centre that explains his technique. ## Is it worth sleeping here? Yes, if you are also going to see The Hague and Rotterdam. Delft is quiet at night, cheaper than the two big cities and sits between them. The Hotel de Plataan has themed and family rooms; the Bridges House is a 17th-century canal house on the Oude Delft, and the Arsenaal has 66 rooms in the former arsenal. ## When to go? From April to October: boats, terraces over the canals and long days. In winter Delft is pretty and quiet, but the boats only sail at weekends in November and stop in December. Avoid Sunday if you want to go into the churches. ## Dónde está - Cerca: The Hague and Scheveningen (a 8.1 km), Rotterdam (a 13.0 km), Leiden (a 18.4 km), Kinderdijk (a 23.6 km) ## Qué hacer - **Nieuwe Kerk and its tower over the Markt** (1 h 30 · Tower from age 6, with an adult up to 16 · €15 combined ticket for the two churches and the tower · €6.50 for ages 6 to 11): The Nieuwe Kerk closes off one side of the Markt, Delft's great square, opposite the town hall. Inside is the mausoleum of William of Orange, father of the Dutch nation, assassinated in Delft in 1584, and under the floor the royal family's crypt, which is still in use. But what is most remembered is the tower: a narrow staircase that climbs to the galleries from where, on a clear day, you can see The Hague and Rotterdam. Tickets and opening hours The combined ticket (€15; €6.50 for ages 6 to 11) includes both churches, the Nieuwe and the Oude, and the tower climb. From February to October they are open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00; from November to January, on weekdays from 11:00 to 16:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00. Sundays are for worship. The tower closes an hour before the church and may close because of wind; ages 6 to 16 climb with an adult and rucksacks and umbrellas are not allowed. The church is under phased renovation, so some areas may be covered. - **Oude Kerk, Vermeer's tomb** (45 min · All ages · Included in the €15 combined ticket · the two churches without the tower, €10): The Oude Kerk, the old church, looks out over the Oude Delft canal with a tower that visibly leans towards the water. Buried here are the painter Johannes Vermeer, the naturalist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a pioneer of the microscope, and the admiral Piet Hein. It is plainer and quieter than the Nieuwe Kerk, five minutes away on foot, and is seen with the same combined ticket. It is open Monday to Saturday with the same hours. - **Vermeer Centrum Delft** (1 h · Adults and teenagers · €15 adults · €7.50 ages 13 to 18 · €2 ages 7 to 12 · free up to 6): Delft holds no Vermeer paintings: they are in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Rijksmuseum and museums around the world. The Vermeer Centrum, a step from the Markt, on the Voldersgracht, explains the painter in his own city: how he lived, how he worked with light and colour, which pigments he used and where the places he painted were. There are demonstrations of how oil paint is made, and the audio guide is included. It is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00. It costs €15 for adults, €7.50 for ages 13 to 18 and €2 for ages 7 to 12. If you are going on to The Hague afterwards, it is the best preparation for seeing Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis. - **Royal Delft, the last blue pottery factory** (1 h 30 · All ages · Paid admission, with online sales): Of the dozens of pottery factories that existed in Delft in the 17th century, one remains: De Porceleyne Fles, now Royal Delft. You visit the working factory: the plaster moulds, the sponging, the kilns, the glazing and, above all, the painters who decorate every piece by hand in Delft blue. There is a museum with historic pieces and a shop. It is south-east of the centre, at Rotterdamseweg 196, about twenty minutes on foot from the Markt or by bus. It is open every day from 9:30 to 17:00; buy your ticket on its website. Be wary of the cheap "Delft" pottery in souvenir shops: the genuine article carries the factory's mark. - **Delft canal boat** (50 min · All ages · €14 adults · €6.50 ages 4 to 16 · free up to 3): Delft is a city of narrow canals, with stone bridges so low that on the boat you have to duck your head. Rondvaart Delft leaves from Koornmarkt 113, five minutes from the Markt, on the hour from 11:00 to 17:00, from April to October, and at weekends in November. The trip lasts about 50 minutes and passes along the Oude Delft, the oldest canal, with the Oude Kerk leaning over the water. It costs €14 for adults and €6.50 for ages 4 to 16. - **Walk around the Markt and the canals of Delft** (1 h 30 · 3 km · All ages · Free): Delft can be walked in full in a morning. Start at the Markt, between the Renaissance town hall and the Nieuwe Kerk, continue along the Voldersgracht, behind the square, where the Vermeer Centrum is, and head down to the Oude Delft, the oldest canal, with the leaning Oude Kerk and the façades of the old mansions. Return along the Koornmarkt, with its terraces over the water, and finish at the Beestenmarkt, a tree-filled square full of tables in summer. It is about three flat kilometres, easy with a pushchair. ## Dónde comer - **Stads-Koffyhuis** (Café, Delft, €). Qué pedir: a hot broodje from the menu and, for dessert, cake with coffee on the terrace. - **Spijshuis de Dis** (Restaurant, Delft, €€). Qué pedir: the mussels in season and, at the end, a glass of its cinnamon liqueur. ## By plane: Fly to Amsterdam and take a direct train to Delft Delft is on the train line linking Amsterdam, Schiphol, The Hague and Rotterdam. You fly to Amsterdam Schiphol, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities, and the train to Delft leaves from the airport itself. You can also fly to Rotterdam The Hague, a small airport a few kilometres away, with fewer flights from Spain. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel de Plataan** (Hotel): The place A three-star hotel run for more than thirty years by the Meijer family, on the Doelenplein, in the historic centre. What sets it apart are the themed rooms, each decorated like a little journey, as well as simple and family rooms. In 2024 its restaurant, Gaia, opened inside, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Why here Because you can walk to everything: the Markt, the churches and the canals are a few minutes away, and the station is a short stroll. With children, the themed rooms are a hard argument to beat. - **Bridges House Hotel** (Small hotel): The place A 17th-century canal house on the Oude Delft, the prettiest canal in the city, which was the home of the family of the painter Jan Steen. It has few rooms, each with its own character, and some apartments. In the morning, the buffet breakfast is served in the lounge and they cook your eggs to order. Why here For waking up beside the canal, two minutes from the Oude Kerk and five from the Markt, in a house with history. It is a place for couples and for a quiet getaway; check the room type on its website, because sizes vary. - **Hotel Arsenaal Delft** (Hotel): The place Delft's arsenal, a military brick building beside the canal, turned into a hotel of 66 boutique-style rooms and suites that keep their original walls, beams and windows. Downstairs, the gastrobar De Wapenkamer, the former armoury, serves tea, wines, bites and cocktails. Why here It is in the centre, five minutes on foot from the Markt and the boat jetty. It is the option with the most big-hotel services without leaving the old town. ### Servicios - **Delft station**: About an hour by train from Amsterdam Centraal; ten minutes on foot to the Markt. Frequent trains to The Hague and Rotterdam. ## Car-free: Delft by train and on foot Delft is small, pedestrianised and full of canals: you can do all of it on foot from the station. And it is halfway along the train line between The Hague and Rotterdam, so with a night here you can see three cities without touching a car. The budget per person per day includes sleeping in the centre, food and tickets. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel de Plataan** (Hotel): The place A three-star hotel run for more than thirty years by the Meijer family, on the Doelenplein, in the historic centre. What sets it apart are the themed rooms, each decorated like a little journey, as well as simple and family rooms. In 2024 its restaurant, Gaia, opened inside, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Why here Because you can walk to everything: the Markt, the churches and the canals are a few minutes away, and the station is a short stroll. With children, the themed rooms are a hard argument to beat. - **Bridges House Hotel** (Small hotel): The place A 17th-century canal house on the Oude Delft, the prettiest canal in the city, which was the home of the family of the painter Jan Steen. It has few rooms, each with its own character, and some apartments. In the morning, the buffet breakfast is served in the lounge and they cook your eggs to order. Why here For waking up beside the canal, two minutes from the Oude Kerk and five from the Markt, in a house with history. It is a place for couples and for a quiet getaway; check the room type on its website, because sizes vary. - **Hotel Arsenaal Delft** (Hotel): The place Delft's arsenal, a military brick building beside the canal, turned into a hotel of 66 boutique-style rooms and suites that keep their original walls, beams and windows. Downstairs, the gastrobar De Wapenkamer, the former armoury, serves tea, wines, bites and cocktails. Why here It is in the centre, five minutes on foot from the Markt and the boat jetty. It is the option with the most big-hotel services without leaving the old town. ### Servicios - **Delft station**: About an hour by train from Amsterdam Centraal; ten minutes on foot to the Markt. Frequent trains to The Hague and Rotterdam. ## As a family: Delft with the family Delft is manageable with children: small, with no cars in the centre, a tower to climb, a factory where you can watch plates being painted and a boat on canals with bridges so low you have to duck. ### What works best Climbing the Nieuwe Kerk tower, from age 6 Watching hand painting at Royal Delft The canal boat, €6.50 for ages 4 to 16 ### Where to sleep Hotel de Plataan, with family and themed rooms ### Where to eat Stads-Koffyhuis, pancakes and sandwiches ### Bear in mind The churches are not open to visitors on Sundays The tower does not allow rucksacks or umbrellas ### Qué hacer as a family - Nieuwe Kerk and its tower over the Markt - Oude Kerk, Vermeer's tomb - Royal Delft, the last blue pottery factory - Delft canal boat - Walk around the Markt and the canals of Delft ## With teenagers: Delft with teenagers With teenagers, Delft is short and pleasant: the tower, Vermeer explained through his technique and a university city with atmosphere. Combine it with The Hague or Rotterdam, minutes away by train. ### What works best The Nieuwe Kerk tower The Vermeer Centrum, €7.50 for ages 13 to 18 Royal Delft and its painters A canal boat ### Where to sleep Hotel Arsenaal Delft, in the former arsenal ### Where to eat Stads-Koffyhuis ### Bear in mind Ages 6 to 16 climb the tower with an adult ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Nieuwe Kerk and its tower over the Markt - Vermeer Centrum Delft - Royal Delft, the last blue pottery factory - Delft canal boat - Walk around the Markt and the canals of Delft ## Consejos ### Do not go on a Sunday Both churches are closed to visitors. ### Climb the tower early It closes an hour before the church and can close because of wind. ### Buy pottery only at Royal Delft The cheap "Delft" pottery in souvenir shops is almost never made here. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Amsterdam to Delft? About an hour by train from Amsterdam Centraal. ### What can you see in Delft in a day? The Markt, the Nieuwe Kerk tower, the Oude Kerk with Vermeer's tomb, the Vermeer Centrum, the canal boat and Royal Delft. ### Are there Vermeer paintings in Delft? No. They are in the Mauritshuis in The Hague and in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. ### How much does it cost to climb the tower? The combined ticket for the two churches and the tower costs €15; the tower alone, €7.50. ### Can you combine it with The Hague? Yes, they are a few minutes apart by train. Delft is a good base for seeing both and Rotterdam.