Trixie Navarre

Journey outside the larger cities of Amsterdam or Den Haag, and you will find lovely cities full of culture, history, and serenity.  On my most recent visit to the Netherlands, I traveled into several cities including Delft, which is in South Holland. It is a very popular tourist destination, and easy to get to by car or train.

If you are familiar with the painter Johannes Vermeer there is a museum in Delft dedicated to him. He painted in both Delft and Den Haag during the 17th century, and has a strong presence in both cities. Delft also has a lot of interesting, great architecture, and is home to that beautiful blue and white Delft pottery.

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Delft Markt

Just follow the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) spire and you will find the main square. The Markt is flanked by the New Church on one end, and the Town Hall on the other end. Although it was a very similar setup to other European main squares, I still loved the Delft Markt very much. In every city or town I visit, the Market Square is the first place I head to and explore from there. It is always a great place to start and get your bearings.

I visited Delft on a Sunday, which was a great day due to the Sunday Market that was happening. There were a lot of great vendors, and other food options besides the restaurants. It made for a fun Sunday in Delft.

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Oude Delft

The oldest canal is the Oude Delft, which spans over 750 years. The city of Delft grew around this canal, and it is still used today. The Oude Delft and the other canals offer great photo opportunities, so make sure to have your camera out. The Old Canal has a lot of history to it, and is a great place to walk or to sit with a caffe.

The Oude Delft is located a couple of blocks west of the Markt, and it is not hard to find. It is one of the main canals roads in Delft. If you get lost just map “Oude Delft”, and you will come across it.

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What I ate in Delft

There are plenty of restaurant options in Delft, whether you want to eat at one of the local cafes along the canals or in the Markt. I decided to have lunch in the Markt, so I could people watch and listen to the tolling of the church bell. Yes, I wanted to be in the thick of it really.

I decided to eat at Het Konings Huy with a lovely view of the New Church. The fish stew with tomato broth was delicious, and the little orange casserole dish was adorable.

👩🏻‍💻 For my food blog → What I ate in THE NETHERLANDS – A Food Journal

For location and my Yelp Review – Read Trixie N.‘s review of Het Konings Huys on Yelp

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Discovering Delft by Foot

The older section of Delft is a wonderful place to wander through, so put on those cute walking shoes. Have your camera ready because there is always something photo worthy right around the corner.

Once you get your bearings and start walking, you will find little pedestrian streets,  bridges to cross, the Old Church, shops, and cafes. The town of Delft is worth the day trip and makes for a nice journey outside of Den Haag or Amsterdam.

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Canal Cruise

Taking the hour long Canal Cruise in Delft is the best way to explore the canals, while learning about the history of the waterways and buildings. I enjoyed the relaxing experience and viewing the city of Delft from another perspective- looking up.

Rondvaart Delft offers guided canal cruises in silent cruiser boats that sail every hour between 11:00 and 17:00 (5:00 PM).

For Canal Cruise information, schedule and location:  Rondvaart-Delft

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Cheese & More

It was like cheese heaven in here, and I am so happy that I can devour lactose. I walked into town square, turned left, and saw the cheese store. Everything around me disappeared and I had to go inside. All the colorful wrapped cheeses were like candy to my eyes.

There were so many delicious types of Gouda cheese, goat cheese, sheep cheese, old cheese, whatever cheese- it was amazing. You can sample each one, and each one I sampled- I am not joking.

For my Five Star Yelp review – Read Trixie N.‘s review of Cheese & More on Yelp

For store and company information, please visit their website – Cheese & Moore

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So Many Bicycles

Europe is very bicycle friendly, especially the Netherlands. With that said, please be considerate of the bicycle paths and do not stand or walk in them. I saw many tourist do that, and I could not blame the cyclist for shouting or furiously ringing their bells. Please do not be that tourist.

Although I explored Delft by foot, I loved seeing all the colorful bikes riding by or parked. It is part of the culture in the Netherlands, which I appreciated and loved.

There are bicycle rentals in Delft if you want to explore the town by bike. You can either google for current information, or visit the local tourist office.

To travel and to love is to be happy…

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📸 All photos are taken by me and are my intellectual property- Trixie Navarre