What to see in Delft in two days, where to sleep on a budget, how to find the Delft Blue ceramics known all over the world, where to eat, without forgetting that Delft is the city of Vermeer and his works.
Delft is a very beautiful city ofHolland. Outside the classic routes of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, Delft shines for its history, its typicality and its culture, in fact it lived here Jan Vermeer, the famous painter of "The girl with the turban" that we all know thanks to the film "The girl with a pearl earring".
How to reach us
Getting to Delft from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport it's very simple. There are trains that depart frequently, even several times in an hour which take about 40 minutes of time and cost just € 10, even if it depends on the type of ticket you buy. Remember that it is always mandatory to validate it before getting on board to avoid incurring very high fines. The ticket can also be done easily online.
Once you arrive at Delft train station, just cross the bridge at the exit of the station and go straight ahead, in no time you will find yourself in the historic center of the Dutch city. The town is very small, I spent two nights here, but the second morning I left for Amsterdam by train at 7.30, one night and two days are more than enough to explore it.
Accomodation
I spent my two nights in Delft atJohannes Vermeer hotels, a three star hotel in the center of Delft with breakfast included. The Hotel is in the center, very nice, nice and the breakfast is sweet and salty. My room was on the top floor, there is no elevator, the bathroom was clean and big. The double bed made up of two beds pushed together, as is used in these parts, the warm room, despite the really cold temperatures (I went to Delft in December).
La breakfast room is very pretty, with a very large painted on the wall of Vermeer and his turbaned girlfriend. Good cereals and also croissants, yoghurt and coffee, good service for its price. Furthermore, around the Hotel there are many supermarkets open until late in the evening, being Delft one university town and also many restaurants, I say this because the hotel restaurant is unfortunately closed in the evening.
To see
Delft can be visited very well. The advice for the first round is to start orient yourself by taking a tour initial of the city. From Hotel Johannes Vermeer you can reach the pulsating heart of the city with the Nieuwe Kerk - The New Church, in just a few minutes on foot.
To get an idea of the city, I recommend visiting the new church - The New Church, located in Nieuwe Kerk, Markt where you can also go up to get a unique view of the city. Exactly behind the Chiesa Nuova is the Delft Blue Heart, the heart of Marcel Smink that recalls the color of the beautiful blue ceramics of Delft. Here a photo is at least a must.
Also not to be missed Old church - The Old Church with its 27 beautiful stained glass windows colored. No, it's not you, it's actually pending.
Also worth seeing Vermeer Center which is located in the street parallel to one side of Piazza Markt. Here are 37 works of the master of light reproduced in original size.
Finally, if you have time available and you love ceramics, in addition to taking some home with you, I recommend you go to the Royal Porcelain Factory in Delft, the only remaining active of the 33 present in the city until a few years ago. The distinctive cobalt blue is what they here call the Delft Blue, the beautiful blue Cermica of Delft are a source of pride for this town and I bought several souvenirs myself.
Where to eat
Don't be fooled, in Holland you eat well and eat often too. I was traveling with a child, so I didn't eat at canonical times, plus I was alone, so I couldn't afford long lunches and dinners, but I did my best to collect at least one valid address.
Kek, the most beautiful place for me in all of Delft. You will be amazed already at the entrance, the restaurant is also suitable for children and you will immediately realize it, many are in fact parents who come here to spend some time with friends and to relax even the little ones. But we don't stop at the place because the menu is wonderful: desserts and salads, breakfasts made of yogurt and muesli, tea, coffee of all kinds, juices, centrifuged and so on and so forth. I highly recommend this place for breakfast or lunch, but also for a snack.
There are other places, I myself went into several cafes and places where I was able to have lunch and dinner very well. I leave it to you to discover all the other places and maybe come and suggest someone for the next trip.
Curiosity
There are two curiosities that struck me about Delft and that I advise you to look for if you too want a special memory of this Dutch city.
First of all, do you know that Delft is home to the smallest museum in the world? You may not notice it immediately, but walking back down the street of Oude Delft, right in front of the Café Uit de Kunst, you will notice a small closed telephone booth, where a work of art by a local artist is presented every month. A bizarre thing, but worth seeing.
Another curiosity, always talking about art, but in this case let me say, already established, concerns the painter Jan Vermeer. In fact, the news came from 2016 that the place that inspired the painting would be found Het Straatje, The narrow street of Delft.
Also, after 230 years the famous painting comes home directly from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The place, both the narrow street and the house that inspired the famous painter, would be located at number 40-42 of via Vlamingstraat.
Because it's worth the trip
Delft like all Dutch cities is full of bicycles, even for very small ones. Here there are many shops that sell bikes or bike-shaped toys for little travelers, but not only. There are many design shops, home furnishings, furniture, clothing, unique pieces that make you want to set up a home. Delft shines for its uniqueness and its shops are too, they have character and each of these inside, whether it sells sweaters or armchairs, has a café area with donuts and cakes for all the curious.
