The Hague
See View of Delft and Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis.
Route by public transport ↗
Vermeer, Orange and Delft Blue.
6 museumsDelft is small, but its story is big. Vermeer was born here, William of Orange was murdered here, and Royal Delft has made Delft Blue since 1653. Almost everything sits on or near a canal.
If you love museums and history, Delft is a good place to be. It takes a few minutes to walk from the station to the Markt, with the town hall at one end and the Nieuwe Kerk at the other. In the Prinsenhof you can still see the bullet holes from the attack on William of Orange, and Vermeer lies buried in the Oude Kerk. The Vermeer Centre shows how he worked, and at Royal Delft you can watch painters at their benches. The old centre is so compact that you do it all on foot, with time left for a terrace by the water.
One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.
Six places to complete your museum day.
The former convent where William of Orange was shot in 1584. The bullet holes are still in the wall, and the museum tells the story of Delft and the Dutch Revolt.
William of Orange lies here in a tomb of marble and bronze. Climb the tower: at 108.75 metres it is the second tallest church tower in the Netherlands.
The oldest church in town, with a tower that visibly leans. Vermeer was buried here.
No originals, but his complete work at actual size, with clear explanations of light, colour and perspective. Good preparation for the Mauritshuis.
The last working pottery from the 17th century. Watch painters apply the famous blue by hand.
The only town gate still standing in Delft, with two slender towers above the water. A fine end to a canal walk.
Buy your tickets online and plan the rest of your day around them.
All museums in Delft. Click a museum for the route.
Delft lies right between The Hague and Rotterdam. A short train ride takes you to a completely different city.
See View of Delft and Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis.
Route by public transport ↗Modern architecture, the Kunsthal and the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
Route by public transport ↗Rembrandt's birthplace, with Museum De Lakenhal and the National Museum of Antiquities.
Route by public transport ↗Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.
Delft has hotels and B&Bs for every budget, many of them in old canal houses. The Hague and Rotterdam are about a quarter of an hour away by train, and Leiden is close too. Spend the day at museums around the region, then return to a calm, lamplit old town in the evening. You get the peace of a small city with the museums of a whole region.
Restaurants, shops and hotels near the museums, picked for museum visitors.