A mother-daughter trip to Delft in the off season

by Carolyn Ray

If you’re looking for a charming alternative to the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, consider Delft. With its picturesque canals, charming cobblestone streets, and cafes, Delft is one of the Netherlands’ most picturesque villages, perhaps best known as the home of Johannes Vermeer, who painted “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in 1665. Tracy Chevalier’s best-selling novel Girl with a Pearl Earring, portrays a fictional account of Vermeer, the girl in the painting, later played by Scarlett Johansen in the 2003 movie. That alone makes it appealing to my daughter Alyx, as we celebrate her 24th birthday together on a week-long mother-daughter trip.

We arrive on a morning train from Amsterdam Central Station and stop at the Tourist Centre for a map. Following the flow of bicycles to De Markt Square, the heart of Delft, I can already feel the shift from the intensity of Amsterdam. After several days of rain in Amsterdam, the sunshine in Delft feels mystical. The trees are just starting to change colour for the fall and the flowers are still in bloom, even in October.

Delft’s charming canals and markets

Founded in 1246, Delft was an important town, evidenced by the size of its market square. It’s Thursday, market day, and tables are overflowing with fresh cheese, vegetables and bread, with the towering spires of the 15th-century Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) looking over Markt Square. Once the seat of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau, Nieuwe Kerk is the second tallest church in the Netherlands. It holds the tomb of William of Orange and memorials to the members of the House of Orange-Nassau who lie in the vault.

The Oude Kerk (Old Church), completed in 1246, is the oldest parish church and oldest building in Delft. Its leaning tower is a prominent emblem of Delft, fondly called by the citizens the ‘Scheve Jan,’ which translates to ‘Leaning Jan’. Johannes Vermeer is among the 400 people buried here, in a designated “Own Grave” (Eijgen Graff).

Click here for tickets and things to do around Delft!

Delft is also the birthplace of the world-famous Delft Blue ceramics or Delftware. Delft Blue displays are in practically every shop.

In Delft, the Royal Delft Museum is the only remaining factory museum of Delftware, dating back to 1653. Delft Blue pottery is deeply rooted in Dutch culture and history and is a symbol of national pride for the Dutch. There are two stores in Delft, and the factory, where you can witness the centuries-old craftmanship of its blue and white pottery.

Pancakes for two, please

Winding our way around the cobblestone streets, we dip in and out of boutiques, enjoying the uncrowded shops and canals. When I see a small cafe on the Voldergracht with an outdoor patio bathed in sunshine, I plop into a chair. It is the perfect place for people-watching.

The service at Kek Café is fast and friendly, and before long, we are eyeing an enormous plate of “it’s a kind of magic waffles” smothered in whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and caramel. We don’t stop there. A pumpkin spice and red velvet latte follow. Definitely not on my diet, but who cares!

The most famous girl in the world

Next door to the cafe is the Vermeer Center Delft, a small museum in central Delft dedicated to its most famous artist, Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer (1632-1675) lived and worked in Delft all his life. In 1653, he married a rich Catholic woman, Catharina Bolnes, and they had 14 children. The whole family lived with Catharina’s mother, Maria Thins. After his death, Vermeer’s name was almost forgotten until the 19th century.

Today, his most famous painting, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, is replicated on postcards, china, jewelry and pillows. There’s even a cutout at the museum where you can pose as that famous face.

The real painting is at the Mauritshuis Museum in Der Hague, one of only a small number he painted. According to the Mauritshuis website, “Vermeer painted the girl without any hard lines. We call this technique sfumato, the Italian word for smoky or blurred. This means that all kinds of details are missing, such as the hook for the earring.”

“He saw things in a way that others did not, so that a city I had lived in all my life seemed a different place, so that a woman became beautiful with the light on her face.” ― Tracy Chevalier, Girl with a Pearl Earring

Delft’s last windmill

One of the things I want to see most in Delft is a windmill. Originally, De Roos, or ‘The Rose’, was on the southern city wall of Delft but was later relocated and rebuilt above the western fortifications of the Dutch municipality in 1679. It’s the sole surviving windmill in Delft, the last of 18 once here.

As we walk back to the train station, still savouring those whipped cream pancakes, Alyx comments that this has been our most memorable day so far. I can’t help but agree.

Other less-travelled towns near Amsterdam

When JourneyWoman readers heard I was going to Amsterdam, they recommended other small towns to visit.

Kinderdijk: “Outside of Amsterdam, I would highly recommend Kinderdijk which is a living museum of windmills along a canal. You can ride bikes along the paths, walk, and take a canal ride. Very beautiful and interesting. I fell in love with Delft. Lovely town with a great square. So easy to get to via train. All of the surrounding towns are so easy to get to. Gouda was nice too especially if you like cheese!” — Valerie H.

Vollendam: Where there’s a working windmill and a small fishing town nearby. Debbie D. says: “I enjoyed a half-day excursion out to a working windmill and to a small fishing town nearby, Vollendam. On the way out we stopped at a place named Irene Houve, in Katwoude, where they made cheese and carved wooden shoes (it was a bit touristy but fun).”

Den Haag (The Hague): “There are a couple of great museums, the Peace Palace, beautiful beaches and a fun boardwalk in Scheveningen and the fun miniature world of Madurodam Rotterdam, for its architecture and markets.” — Linda H.

Utrecht: With its Musical Clock Museum, Rebecca S. says, “My favourite small museum is the Musical Clock Museum in Utrecht. It’s totally unique and an easy day trip by train.”

Oudewater: Elaine H. recommends the witches weigh station in Oudewater. According to Atlas Obscura, “As witch hunts became a popular hysteria, they also became the perfect spots to subject the accused to a witchcraft test. Witches were thought to be light enough to float on water, and a common test of, uh, witchitude, was to put the accused on the weigh house scale and see the results.”

Rotterdam: “I personally love the architecture in Rotterdam, and there’s also a great little market there too, with food and other market stuff.”- Kerry O’C.

Alkmarr: Thirty minutes north of Amsterdam, Alkmarr has beautiful shops, cafes along the canal, and cheese and art museums that are more affordable and accessible than in Amsterdam. Joan T. says: Alkmarr was my favourite town and the canal ride was far better than in Amsterdam. Beautiful shops, cafes along the canal, and cheese! About 30 minutes north on a lovely train ride. Also, check out the art museum there. They have amazing exhibits that are more affordable and accessible than in Amsterdam.”

Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood in the Dutch town of Zaandam, where historic windmills and distinctive green wooden houses were relocated to recreate the look of an 18th/19th-century village. Learn more here.

Otterlo: “Kroeller Mueller Museum is amazing, though is 2.5 hours away.” – Diana E. At the Kröller-Müller Museum, you will find the world’s finest Vincent van Gogh collection and enjoy masterpieces by modern masters such as Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan.

Amsterdam Travel Tips

The Jan Luyken Hotel: Just steps from the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, with easy access to public transit and the airport bus. Check availability here.

Amsterdam City Card: I was provided with an Amsterdam City Card on my phone, which made it easy to hop on and off. You can purchase a city card for 24 to 120 hours, starting at 60 euros. It includes local transit, free or discounted admission to more than 70 museums (although they have to be booked in advance), bike rental, and a canal cruise.

The City Card includes a canal ride with Blue Line, which offers a videotaped commentary. A much more interesting experience is with Those Dam Boat Guys which is a rather unscripted experience. This 90-minute tour goes to smaller canals and the guides share their perspective as locals and insider tips (like the windmill near the Dutch East India Museum, which our guide said was his favourite museum in Amsterdam). Tours start at 35 Euros.

Walking tours

Who is Amsterdam offers some great walking tours, including Humans of Amsterdam, which combines history, culture, and unforgettable personal connections in a unique way. If you go, ask for Alex, who will introduce you to the humans behind Amsterdam’s iconic topics, from the Red Light District to bike culture and cannabis shops. The walking tour I wanted to try, but didn’t get to is called “BadAss Women Tours”, which offers a women’s history tour, LGBTQ+ tour, BIPOC and Jewish history tour.

Quirky museums

Amsterdam is famous for the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt Museum, and the Rijksmuseum (included in the CityPass). Remember to book your tickets well in advance, especially for Anne Frank House. Try to go in the evening and be aware that there are a lot of stairs. Photographs are not permitted inside either. Having seen the Guinness Museum in Dublin, I found the Heineken Museum less impressive and just a tourist exhibit (there is a discount with the City Card).

There are some very quirky museums. I also could have skipped Kat Kabinet, a house with one floor of paintings, prints, a few cats and other cat-related items (it was expensive, even with a City Card discount). Some of the museums recommended by readers include: the Mouse Museum, the Dutch Resistance, Our Lord in the Attic Museum, The Willet-Holthuysen House, Museum Van Loon and Garden and the Kroller Muller Museum which I did not visit. For more ideas, visit Amsterdam’s website here.

“Take the free ferry across from the central train station to the dockyard district. The Straat Museum is an amazing place — street art that has been created for the space. Across from it is a massive repurposed shipbuilding factory that now houses artist studios. It’s a very trendy neighbourhood with lots of restaurants.” – Karen G.

“We enjoyed the Artis Micropia Museum in Amsterdam. Fun, and interactive and lots of interesting microbes to talk about. Loved the dockyard district, too. Museum Van Loon and Garden were a favourite, too. Loved the Kroller Muller Museum. Definitely worth the train ride!” — Teri A.

“Stop in Stephen & Penelope yarn store, they have logo souvenirs (craft bags, wooden needle sizes in shape of houses, maybe buy some yarn & needles and each start scarf, maybe lesson with purchase.” — Marie L.

Click here to find even more things to do in Amsterdam!

Where to eat

At night the streets are full of people, particularly the area around Café Hoppe, which is where I had lunch on my first day. Amsterdam is a city that loves its sandwiches. Try Small World in Jordaan, which is a very small and popular sandwich shop, perfect for a rainy day. A pretty basic meal for two was about 100 euros / C$150. A coffee- €6. The weather was rainy, cool with two days of sunshine and we found lots of cafes for chatting and people-watching, like Caffe Hoppe.

My favourite meal was a new restaurant called Oaxaca, which took me right back to one of my favourite cities. From the moment we walked in, the staff treated us warmly and the service was perfecto!

The most disappointing dinner was at Madam Restaurant at the top of the ADAM Tower, which I booked at my hotel’s recommendation for my daughter’s birthday. If I hadn’t already paid a deposit, I would have left due to the poor service.

More to Discover From The Netherlands