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Delft
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DELFT
, 2km inland from The Hague, has considerable charm, with its gabled red-roofed houses standing beside tree-lined canals. The pastel colours of the pavements, brickwork and bridges give the town a faded tranquillity - though one that is increasingly hard to find beneath the tourist onslaught during summer. The town is perhaps best known for
Delftware
, the clunky blue and white ceramics to which the town gave its name in the seventeenth century. If you've already slogged through the vast collection in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, it needs no introduction, but for those sufficiently interested,
De Porceleyne Fles
, Rotterdamsweg 196, a factory producing Delftware, is open for visits (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, April-Oct also Sun 9.30am-5pm; a?¬2.30), and the
Huis Lambert van Meerten Museum
, Oude Delft 199 (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; a?¬2.30;
www.royaldelft.com
) has a large collection of Delft and other tiles.
Markt is the best place to start exploring, with the Nieuwe Kerk at one end (April-Oct Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun noon-6pm; Nov-March Mon-Sat 11am-4pm, Sun noon-4pm; a?¬1.80), under restoration and with a 103m tower (closes 30min earlier; a?¬1.50) that gives a wonderful view of the town. The rather uninspiring interior contains the burial vaults of the Dutch royal family. Only the Mausoleum of William the Silent grabs your attention, a hotchpotch of styles concocted by Hendrik de Keyser, architect of the Renaissance Stadhuis opposite. South of here, Wynhaven , another old canal, leads to Hippolytusbuurt and the Gothic Oude Kerk (same hours as Nieuwe Kerk; a?¬1.80), arguably the town's finest building. Simple and unbuttressed with an unhealthily leaning tower, it has an intricately carved pulpit dating from 1548, with figures emphasized in false perspective. Opposite is the former Convent of St Agatha, or Prinsenhof (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; a?¬2.30), housing Delft's municipal art collection (a good group of works including paintings by Aertsen and Honthorst), and restored in the style of the late sixteenth century when it served as William the Silent's base in his revolt against the Spanish. It was also the scene of his assassination; the mark of the bullets can still be seen on the walls. Finally, the Royal Army and Weapon Museum near the station (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun noon-5pm; a?¬3.40) is worth a visit, with its good display of weaponry, uniforms and military accoutrements from the Spanish wars to the 1950s.
From the
train station
, it's a short walk into town and the
VVV
at Markt 83-85 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-5pm; mid-April to Sept also Sun 10am-3pm; tel 015/212 6100,
www.vvvdelft.nl
), which can find you the best
accommodation
deals in the centre; try
Van Domburg
, Voldersgracht 24 (tel 015/212 3029; A?5-10/$8-16/a?¬9-18). The
campsite
,
De Delftse Hout
, is at Kortftlaan 5 (tel 015/213 0040; bus #64 from station). The cheapest
eating
is at a number of student mensas (term-time only) such as
De Koornbeurs
near the main square and
Jansbrug
, Kornmarkt 50-52.
Willem Van Oranje
, centrally located on Markt, has pancakes,
uitsmijters
(ham or cheese with eggs), and light meals for around a?¬4.50 and three-course menus for a?¬9.
Locus Publicus
, Brabantse Turfmarkt 67, is a popular local
bar
, serving a staggering array of beers as well as sandwiches. The library, Kruisstraat 71 (tel 015/212 3450), has
Internet
access. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Netherlands,
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