Delft

Introducing Delft

Ah, lovely Delft: compact, charming, relaxed. It’s a very popular tourist destination – day-trippers (and lovers of beauty and refinement) clamour to stroll Delft’s narrow, canal-lined streets, gazing at the remarkable old buildings and meditating on the life and career of Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer. The artist was born in Delft and lived here –View of Delft, one of his best-loved works, is an enigmatic, nonrealist vision of the town. Delft is also famous for its ‘delftware’, the distinctive blue-and-white pottery originally duplicated from Chinese porcelain by 17th-century artisans.

Delft was founded around 1100 and grew rich from weaving and trade in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 15th century a canal was dug to the Maas River, and the small port there, Delfshaven, was eventually absorbed by Rotterdam.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009