Discover Delft: Vermeer, Delft Blue and gardens
Accommodation in Delft
Delft combines art and craftsmanship with cultural attractions, gardens and canals. The Vermeer Centrum and the Royal Delft Museum offer different areas of focus; outdoors, options range from the Hortus Botanicus to green spaces and recreational areas. This lets you plan your stay around the themes that interest you most.
Getting to Delft and getting around
Delft station is in the city centre. From there, you can reach the Markt and other sights in about five minutes on foot. This provides a useful landmark for visits to the centre; if you also want to include green spaces, you’ll find them elsewhere in the city and in the surrounding region.
Tram line 1 runs directly from The Hague and Rotterdam to Delft. Lines and operators may change, so check the current timetable before travelling. The approximate walking time from the station to the Markt can also be useful when planning visits to the city centre during your stay.
Vermeer, Delft Blue and cultural attractions
The Vermeer Centrum Delft is an information and visitor centre about Johannes Vermeer’s life, work and era, as well as his city. It displays high-quality, life-size reproductions of all of Vermeer’s known works. If you’d like to learn more about the artist, you can choose a bookable guided tour at the centre itself or a Vermeer-themed tour of Delft. Dates and tour arrangements may change; confirm group bookings and current conditions in advance.
At the Royal Delft Museum, you can learn how Delft Blue is made in workshops and paint your own tile. Workshop dates and booking conditions may change, so it’s worth checking the current offerings if you’re planning your visit around this activity.
The Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk are also cultural attractions, hosting exhibitions, concerts and talks. The programme changes over time. If you’d like to combine your visit with a particular event, check the dates for your travel period. The Oostpoort is the only surviving city gate of the eight originally in Delft.
The Museum Paul TĂ©tar van Elven is located on the Koornmarkt in the former home of the painter and passionate art collector Paul TĂ©tar van Elven. He lived there until 1892. Check current museum access arrangements before your visit.
Gardens and green surroundings
The TU Delft Hortus Botanicus is divided into a tree garden, a greenhouse complex, a central garden and a herb garden. Covering about 2.5 hectares, it features around 7,000 unusual plant and tree species. Offerings include self-guided or guided tropical tours, treasure hunts for children, workshops and exhibitions. Activities and programme dates may change; if a particular offering is important to your visit, check the latest dates.
Delftse Hout is a green recreational area on the outskirts of Delft, with opportunities for walking, cycling and taking part in creative workshops. The area is also home to the Arboretum-Heempark. Specific workshops may change. Another connected natural and recreational area, Buytenhout, lies between Delft, Zoetermeer and Pijnacker-Nootdorp.
Midden-Delfland lies right next to Delft, with expansive meadows, historic farmhouses and quiet dike paths. This regional landscape offers a different setting from Delft’s gardens and recreational areas. The various locations therefore offer different ways to shape your stay, without requiring you to choose just one theme for your visit.
On foot, by bike or on the water
Online walking routes in Delft take you past hidden gems and well-known sights. Route availability may change; check the latest information if you’re planning a specific route. A boat trip along the picturesque canals is another way to explore Delft. Operators and timetables may change, so check current sailings in advance.
A cycling tour passes through Hoek van Holland, Maassluis, Midden-Delfland, Delft and Westland, and links the route with regional products such as Westland strawberries and grapes, farmhouse cheese and orchids from a nursery. Route details and participating producers may change. If you’re planning this tour, check the latest information about the route and participation.
Discover more destinations: Delft, Hellevoetsluis, Zederik, Schiedam, Albrandswaard, Middelharnis, Nederlek, Noordwijkerhout
View the main travel overview: South Holland.
