All good things must come to an end right?! And unfortunately that was also the case with our little road trip, through South-Holland. On our last day, the weather was a lot better, so before going to Delft, we made a little pitstop at the beach.
Unwind at Noordwijk aan Zee
My friend was eager to check out the Dunes of Noordwijk. Personally I’m not one for long walks in the Dunes and on the beach. When I plan a trip to the seaside you rather find me sipping on cocktails in a hip beach bar, but hey it isn’t summer yet, so I tagged along anyways. And truth be told, the views were great, the walk relaxing, but man was I cold! I was told that the beach bars are quite fun in summer, so I should check them out at some point!
Explore Historic Delft
Delft is one those places that is just nice to visit! You don’t feel rushed or feel like you have to do anything specific. Just wandering around the city, without an actual itinerary in mind is amazing!
Our adventure started at the Markt, a large town square surrounded by gorgeous historic buildings. Especially the Renaissance City Hall and Nieuwe Kerk stand out! You feel that there’s a lot of history there and a lot of Vermeer. The famous Dutch painter was born in Delft and was baptized in the Nieuwe Kerk in 1632. From the Nieuwe Kerk’s tower you get a spectacular view upon the city (if you don’t mind climbing 350+ steps)!
When you wander around the Markt you will come across a lot of stores filled with the blue-and-white Delftware the city is so famous for. And although it wouldn’t exactly fit it in my interior, I couldn’t help being charmed by it.
However when I think of The Netherlands, I think of cheese first, and then windmills and tulips. #sorrynotsorry but that’s the foodie in me. If you want to taste and buy (duh!) some delicious cheese to take home, make sure to stop by Henri Willig.
Up next was the Oude Kerk, that other famous church in Delft. It dates back to the 13th century and it’s where Vermeer is buried. It’s also near the Museum Prinsenhof Delft, where King Willem of Orange was murdered in 1584 (you can still see the bullet holes!).
Delft is a small canal-ringeled city and walking is a great way to take it all-in. Voldersgracht is for sure one of the charming parts of the city. We passed by the Vermeer Centrum Delft, but as they don’t have any Vermeer originals we didn’t feel like visiting. However if you are interested in learning about Vermeer’s life and the city that inspired him, you might want to visit it anyways.
Late lunch at KEK
Our last stop before going home was KEK. Apparently one of those places in Delft that everyone loves. Rumor has it that it gets really busy on the weekends, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait a little while to get a table. As we were there on a random Monday in February we got a spot quite fast, (but even then the place was packed). I immediately understood why KEK is so popular; Instagrammable interior, friendly staff and healthy and delicious food! Honestly, their Carpaccio Sandwich is amongst the best I ever had, so make sure to check it out if you happen to be in Delft!
When we walked back to the Markt we stumbled upon these amazing murals in the Bonte-Ossteeg, which are for sure summarizing the essence of Delft! Don’t you just love them?
