Delft

We had planned to spend a quieter day the Saturday following the Taylor Swift concert in Amsterdam the night before. Even so, we still wanted to be able to explore, thus we opted for an historic city close enough to Den Haag and took the train to Delft. Delft is perhaps most known for its charming canal neighborhoods and iconic brilliant blue on white Delftware pottery. While the city does specialize in these decorative ceramics, there is much more to see and do in this picturesque town.

Delft has a rich and storied history. The city was founded in 1075, chartered in 1246, and was an important center of trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. While the Great Fire of 1536 and several rounds of the plague impacted the population of Delft during the 16th century, the new century ushered in an era of art and culture. Antony van Leeuwenhoek, considered the father of microbiology and inventor of the simple microscope, was raised and active in Delft. A number of painters from the Dutch Golden Age were also from Delft, including Johannes Vermeer, Pieter de Hooch, and Carel Fabritius. Indeed, Fabritius, who had been a promising student of Rembrandt’s, passed away in the gunpowder explosion that rocked Delft in 1654 and destroyed many of his works, as well as leveling about a third of the city.

Delft was built from reclaimed land. Indeed, the city name comes from the Dutch word meaning ‘to dig.’ As Delft’s familiar canals were built to drain farmland, the soil compacted, becoming stable enough for construction. We could see evidence of this relationship between water and earth; there were buildings that were not exactly plumb due to the settling over the centuries.

After hopping off the train, our plan was to grab lunch, explore the neighborhoods along the canals, and make our way to the Royal Delft Factory and Museum. On Emily’s suggestion, we stopped at Hanno on Doelenplein 7, a world fusion restaurant with a lively energy, fun cocktails, and good food. I ordered the chilaquiles, curious as to what a Dutch take on the Mexican dish would yield. It was definitely different, but still tasty. The chip was crispier than what I am used to in So Cal, but the green sauce was vibrant. I paired it with a coffee stout and some chickpea crisps.

After lunch, we took a nice walk around the town. We found the old Roos Windmill, the only surviving windmill of the eighteen that once operated in Delft. The windmill was constructed in 1679 for the grinding of corn. Today, it is open to visitors and tours, and can even be climbed. There are also educational workshops as well as a small museum store and cafe. We opted not to go in; instead we admired the windmill from the street.

As the weather started to turn from bright blue and sunny to cloudy grey, we headed back in the direction of the Old Canal. We could hear there was a floating music festival that particular Saturday. Bands in boats played their jazz tunes as they floated along the canals, filling the neighborhoods with lively music even as a light drizzle started to fall. I took some video of one of the bands to share with a colleague, then scampered into the Heinen Delfts Blauw concept store.

While not the Royal Delft Factory and Museum, the store turned out to be a good place to purchase some inexpensive souvenirs for friends and family back home. The store also offers painting workshops where one can sign up to paint a tile. I had hoped to do one of the workshops at Royal Delft, but the slots were all sold out. Heinen Delfts would have been a good alternative. However, I was also poked fun at for wanting to do something so artistic with my painter’s talent- or rather lack thereof- so it was a no go on this trip. Maybe next time.

After picking out some souvenirs, it was time for more coffee before walking to the factory. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for worse, and the light drizzle became a thunderstorm with a lot of wind and pouring rain. We headed into the Blue Heart Brew coffee shop right near Nieuwe Kerk for some hot beverages and to wait out the storm.

The storm persisted, the worst part for me being the wind, which made it feel as if I would quite literally fly away. We walked into Nieuwe Kerk, the ‘New Church,’ which is not exactly new. Nieuwe Kerk was constructed in 1396, as opposed to the Old Church which was founded in 1246. Nieuwe Kerk is the final resting place for many members of the royal house of Orange-Nassau, the current reigning house of the Netherlands. The church is open to tours, including a trek up to the tower, which was Jacob’s intent upon entering the church. Unfortunately, his plans too were thwarted, as the heavy rain and wind closed access to the tower for the day. We peeked in the church and visited the gift shop, which was surprisingly reasonable with a number of nice Dutch souvenirs.

Regrettably, the Royal Delft Museum was out for the day. As the afternoon wore on without much improvement in the weather, we decided it was a sign to head back to Den Haag. Nevertheless, the day was still a low-key, fun family adventure in a beautiful city with so much to learn and explore.

Some things to consider:
Tile painting at the Royal Delft Museum is available Tuesday through Sunday, and costs 37.50 euro. This does not include entry to the museum, so it can get pricey. The tile can be picked up after about three weeks, or shipped to an international address (for an extra cost). Spots fill up, as we found out the hard way, so be sure to book in advance.

Transportation to Delft was very easy from Den Haag. We decided to take the Intercity train, however, there are trams and busses that connect Delft and Den Haag. If you are staying in Amsterdam, the train is the best way to go. Either way, the OV Pay system made it easy to just tap in and out to cover our fares. We just tapped our Apple Pay on entry and exit when using the trams, busses, and trains.

We found, also the hard way, that summer weather in the Netherlands can be changeful. Summers are typically cooler than we are used to, so we had prepped for weather that was similar to a California February, but our day in Delft went from sunny and windy to drizzly to thunderstorming. We were prepared with rain gear; unfortunately the weather did put a literal damper on our plans for the day. Luckily, Delft has many cafes and pretty places to get out of the storms.

I truly enjoyed our day out in Delft, even with the complicated weather. It was so lovely, and I learned much about the history and significance of the city. I hope to be able to return and explore more, and even make my Delftware tile with my specialty: hand-drawn bunnies with ‘spider legs.’ Until then, tot ziens!

References:
Janson, Jonathan. “A Timeline of the City of Delft: 1100-1836.” http://www.essentialvermeer.com/delft/timeline-of-delft.html. Accessed 25 July 2024.

“Meel Malen Op de Kracht van de Wind.” Molen de Roos, molen.molenderoos.nl/. Accessed 25 July 2024.

“Bouw van de Nieuwe Kerk.” Oude Kerk Nieuwe Kerk Delft, 2024, http://www.oudeennieuwekerkdelft.nl/nieuwe-kerk/geschiedenis/bouw/.