Hofje van Gratie, Van der Mastenstraat 26-38. This was a hofje for single women, founded in 1575 by Pieter Sasbout. It was originally situated on Korte Geer, but, with the expansion of the Armamentarium, it was relocated to its current location.
Hofje van Pauw, Paardenmarkt 54-62. This hofje was built in 1707 as stated in the will of Elizabeth Pauw.
Klaeuwshofje, Oranje Plantage 58-77. This hofje was meant for unmarried or widowed Catholic women. It was founded in 1605 by Dirck and Elizabeth Uyttenhage.
Stadhuis (Town Hall), Markt 78. After a fire in 1618 after which only the tower remained, Hendrick de Keyser rebuilt the town hall. He reused the tower and some remaining walls. In 1620 construction was finished. The building was renovated in the 19th century.
'Hugo de Groot (Hugo Grotius), Markt. On the market you will find the statue of Hugo Grotius (10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645). Grotius is the latin version of the Dutch name Hugo de Groot. Grotius was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. He laid the foundations for international law and law of the sea. In 1618 Grotius was sentenced to life imprisonment to the Loevestein Castle, about 75 km south east of Delft. Grotius managed to escape in a book chest. Both the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the museum Het Prinsenhof in Delft claim to have the original book chest in their collection.
'Apotheek De Salamander, Markt. On the market you will find this old fashioned pharmacy. The gable is adorned by a traditional Gaper. The pharmacist -in white lab coat- provides proper care and attention far beyond current standards.
Vleeshal (Meat Hall), Voldersgracht 1. Built in 1650. It is one of the only Hollands Classical buildings in Delft. Originally a meat market, later it was converted for wheat. Nowadays it is a youth society. It is possible to eat here for a modest price (around ?4).
Visbank (Fish Trade), Cameretten. Fish market, one of the oldest shops in the world. Try a traditional Dutch herring. The taste holds between raw tuna and "gravad lax" (cured salmon). The antique shop opposite the Visbank is the most photographed building in Delft. Note the fence. It is a depiction of the solar system.
Vrouwenregt, in this short street along a from Vrouw Jutteland, is at the back of the New Chuch. Note the little warped house on the corner closest to the church. It featured in the "Girl with the pearl earring", a film about the painter Vermeer and every tourist takes it picture.
VOC-Huis (Dutch East India Company House), Oude Delft 39. The VOC consisted of 6 chambers. One of them was located in Delft. Delft had a harbour (Delfshaven) at that time, next to Rotterdam. The harbour was later engulfed by the growing city of Rotterdam.
Oostpoort (East Gate), Oostpoort 1. The eastern gate to the city, built around 1400 and of the four original gates the only surviving one. Small building. It looks kind of cute. It is not on the famous painting by Vermeer (because that's the South Gate), as many tourists wrongly think.
Agnetapark, Agnetapark. Just northwest, 10 min walk outside the inner city, this small park was built around 1880 by a local factory owner for his workers. It is the first garden city in the Netherlands. It contains the house of the owner and small working-class cottages and has been a state monument since 1989.
Beestenmarkt, Beestenmarkt. Just 2 min from the main square you find the Beestenmarkt. This is a tree covered square with restaurants, cafés and bars all with outside seating. Very busy all year round. Many pubs have patio heaters to provide comfort after sunset. One of the pubs even provides a sand pit for the children. The name of the square refers to cattle (beest is animal) market which used to be held here. During December / January an ice rink is build on the square.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Delft
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Delft - updated Apr 2024
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Delft Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
