First a few words about the starting point of this walk and then a bit of history so we can put the places we will see in better perspective. Again, as before, the historical notes are in green.
The train station is always a good point of reference (rather than the main square). Most visitors will be arriving by train and if you are coming from a cruise ship, it will be Amsterdam or Rotterdam. At the end of this page I have included a few suggestions about train travel to and from those two cities.

One more comment before we start the walk. Most visitors coming to Delft know about the factories where Delft's Blue is produced and perhaps that is their main interest, and that is fine. Delft has at least four earthenware places. Two of the larger factories are the Koninklijke Porcelyne Fles, which was established in 1653, and the Delfse Pauw, founded in 1650. Here are the web sites for both. http://www.royaldelft.com and http://www.delftpottery.com Both of these places offer free tours to show you how the ceramic is made and give demonstrations about the painting. The first does offer a shuttle bus in the summer. You can find it on their web site. The Pauw can be reached by taking tram number one from the train station going north. The picture to the right is along the way and their web site will also explain how to get there. HOWEVER! There are two more and we will see one of those on our walk. The Candelaer uses the same techniques and produces wonderful Delft's Blue. So, you might wait and see. http://www.candelaer.nl

A bit of history:

Delft derives its name from the Dutch word 'delven' or digging, a trait common to most of the low lands. Digging canals became a necessity for the people who were surrounded by water. Canals were used to channel rain water away, the turf was used to raise the land for tilling and planting, and they were a way to transport goods by boat.
Delft was granted citizenship in 1246 by the Earl William II and it would grow for the next hundred years. In 1350 a major canal, the Schie, was constructed that connected Rotterdam to the Hague via Delft. This was an important waterway and it also became part of the defensive perimeter of the city. By 1355 Delft had established its boundaries and they would remain that way until the 19th century. See map below. The Oude Kerk (Old Church) was started in 1250, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in 1383. Except for two major disasters (the great fire of 1536 and the explosion of the gun powder storage building in 1654, both of which destroyed hundreds of home and people's lives), the city prospered. During the early years of the 17th century, Delft was a center of painting, arts, crafts and science. The Dutch East India Company, the large trading company with ships going to the Indies, had established one of their offices and warehouses in Delft. Spices, coffee, tea and Chinese porcelain now found their way to Delft. This tour passes by the place during the first part of the walk. Later when we visit the Prinsenhof, I will touch on the history of the Royal Dutch family starting with William of Orange, the father of the Netherlands.

1. The train station can be exited west or east. Go east, it will take you to the parking area and bus stops and lots of bicycles. Continue east and cross the first of many canals. This is where the tram runs.
Cross this busy street and enter the little alley called Barbara Steeg. I know it is narrow, but you will be perfectly safe. There are many of these and It is a short way to reach the Oude Gracht (Old Canal).
Keep in mind also that the weather in the Netherlands can change within a minute. Be prepared!

2. Back to our walk. When you see the long brick bridge also notice the one opening to the left. It is the 'Hoogbrug' (High Bridge) and leads to another canal and that is where we are going. Here is another view. The canal is the 'Achterom' or Around the Back, because it was a round-about way of going to the main square. Another way was the canal to your left or along the Legermuseum. You can see the tall church, the Nieuwe Kerk. It is our destination and, in the past, that of many merchants entering this way from Rotterdam.

3. We are now at the Veste Plein. To your left you will still see some of the older buildings and a bar/restaurant 'Moods', popular with the younger crowds. But most of the other buildings are modern and relatively new. The reason is that this part of Delft was rebuilt after the Schie was realigned. On the old maps you can see two sharp bends in the canal. This caused difficulties for long boats, so a new section was dug with a more gradual bend. We will see this shortly. Part of the original Zuiderkanaal is still there with lots of nice houseboats lining one side.
Also keep in mind that the university is not too far south from here, so many students and other young folks make this their hang out. There is 'Mustsee', a movie theater and shops such as 'America Today'. But we pass here and go to the next square the Bastiaanplein. You can see it in the picture below.

4. As you pass the bend along the canal you see our next bridge. We will cross this to the Oostport (East Gate) but not yet. Notice this was the location of the famous painting by Jan Vermeer. He knew, just like Rembrandt, how to catch the light and shadows below the clouds.

But continue a bit further for one of the prettiest views. Now cross the modern bridge and the white 'ophaalbrug' or draw bridge and continue through the gate.
Some of the old buildings you see in the Vermeer painting are gone, but you still get an idea of what it must have been like when you look back at what remains of that period.
Just before we reach the main square we can stop at the Vermeer Centrum and learn more about this artist.

5. After we pass the white pedestrian bridge (known as 'Hopbrug'), we come to the Moslaan canal. Here is where we turn left and go to the Beestenmarkt (Animal Market). From about 1595 until 1971 this was a market place where you could sell or buy farm animals including pigs, rabbits, etc. However, horses were traded at a different place. Now the Beestenmarkt is a nice spot to relax. There are several bars and restaurants that are pleasant and a lot less expensive than those around the main square. During the winter months the center of the square is flooded and turned into a ice skating rink.

The church you see at the north-west corner is the Maria van Jessekerk, a Catholic church. We are going around the corner and take the road that curves a bit to the left. It is the Burgwal.

At the next corner you come to the side of the Nieuwe Kerk, but instead of going to the front, we are taking one more detour.

Turn right and walk to the next corner. Here you come to the Vrouwenregt, a delightful short street. The name is interesting and I don't know its origin. It means the 'right of women'.
You can see a quaint bridge and corner house in the distance. We are heading that way.

Cross the bridge and you come to two places I would like you to see. The first is an old bar 'de Ruif'. The second is the Delft's Blue factory of 'De Candelaer'. Both places are worth a visit. Inside the ceramic shop you can see how pieces are formed and painted. It is the same techniques used by others in Delft. After your stop, go back across the bridge. We still have more to see before going to the main square. Here we see the back of the little house you see above and also the back of the restaurant. Quite often there is now a barge with tables as part of the restaurant. Cross the bridge and there is the back of De Candelaer, with a Delft's Blue back door that goes into the canal. Here you find a few more like that.

If you should be here on a Saturday you will find the flea market. This is a grand way to see and find some treasures all along a wonderful setting. There are numerous stalls and simple ways of displaying items right on the street. You can find ceramic tiles and plates, tools and nautical stuff.
My wife found a small brass bell in the shape of a windmill to add to her collection. But be careful to know what you are buying. Also barter and ask what the merchant's lowest price is. Then offer a bit less.

6. As you continue along the Voldersgracht you come to the Vermeer Centrum, a place more of a tribute and explanation of the works of Jan Vermeer, rather than a museum.
The famous artist was born in 1632 here in Delft where he lived most of his life and painted his master pieces such as 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'.

I strongly suggest to visit the centrum. The web site of the Centrum also has an excellent video clip showing most of his known works. Have a look at http://www.vermeerdelft.nl/195.pp

When you leave the building, go straight and you are finally on the main market square of Delft.

7. As you look around you, the first two buildings stand out. At one end of the rectangular open space is the city hall and at the other the tall Nieuwe Kerk. Along both sides are restaurants and lots of souvenir shops. On Tuesdays there is a general market with about 150 stalls. Sometimes there are special events. One year we were here when a large part of the square was covered with crushed shells for a major boche ball tournament. Look around and then let's go to the church. In front you find the statue of Hugo de Groot, a Dutch writer of the 17th century. Inside the church you can see the floor stones and graves of famous people, but the largest and best-known mausoleum is of William of Orange, the father of the Netherlands. Beneath the stone lie many members of the royal family. It is an impressive place to see.

If you are so inclined, you can climb to the top of the church tower. It took some stamina, but several years ago we did just that. There are several levels, but when you look down the views are fantastic. You can see where we came from and I have marked one picture with our route to follow. On a rainy day, or if you are not in decent shape, don't do this. There are no elevators in churches.

8. There are so many canals in Delft. It is hard to keep track of their names and location. But now we are at a zigzag intersection of streets and water ways. From this corner you can see this gray building, it is a national monument. This used to be the 'Vleesmarkt' or meat market, the only place in town where you could buy 'fresh' meat.
If you read the novel by Tracy Chevalier the 'Girl with a Pearl Earring, you might remember that this is the place where she met her lover and future husband the butcher. The Vleesmarkt is now better known as the Koorn, a place for concerts and theatrical performances. There is a restaurant in the basement. Next door is the Fish Hall. It also has seen more productive times. But again on Tuesdays you can find more stalls of the general market. Fresh flowers are a big thing in Holland.

9. Our last stop is the Prinsenhof. It is right across from the Oude Kerk. It looks like an old castle but was originally a cloister, Sint-Agathaklooster. Then in 1572 William of Orange moved here to find better protection during his reign. However, it was also here that he was murdered.
William was born in the German town of Dillenburg and at age 11 he inherited the French Principality of Orange and the property of the Netherlands. Later, while living in 'Holland' he became a leader in the battle against the Spanish occupation and fought for freedom of religion. In 1580 the Spanish King Felipe II declared the Prince an outlaw and offered twenty five thousand golden crowns to his murderer. After a number of failed attempts, Balthasar Gerards succeeded. In 1584 he bought two pistols and shot the prince on the stairs near a dining room. His final words in French were: ’Dear God, dear God, have pity on me and this poor nation’. The two bullet holes are still visible in the current museum Het Prinsenhof. His descendants are still the Royal Family, the House of Orange. William the Silent, Prince of Orange, lies buried in the Nieuwe Kerk along with most of those who succeeded him.

From here we go back through the gate and turn right. We are heading back along the Oude Delft, the canal where we first started. Along the way notice a few interesting buildings such as Het Gemeenlandshuis, a government office of the Delfland water district, and the smallest house in town. Also look back at the Oude Kerk and notice how it leans. The top is about six feet from vertical. That compares with about twelve feet for the Tower of Pisa. When you see the canal narrow, you are just about at the Barbarasteeg, the little alley that leads you back to the train station.

I hope you enjoyed this walk and if you have any suggestions or corrections, please let me know.
Bon voyage.