“There’s a windmill”, I exclaimed happily as I glanced through the train window. We were on the train from Amsterdam to Delft when I finally saw a Dutch windmill. My best friends and I explored Amsterdam during the previous two days so we decided on the spur of the moment to do a day trip to Delft. Sadly, our fourth friend had to go back to Düsseldorf so it was just us three on the train to beautiful Delft. The train journey was rather short and scenic and before we knew it we were already in Delft walking from the train station towards a lovely windmill called The Rose (Molen de Roos). I couldn’t believe my eyes, my first Dutch windmill was there, just waiting for me. However, it was closed so we couldn’t tour it. I was disappointed for a moment but charming Delft cheered me up very soon.

Quietness, besides the windmill, was my first impression of Delft. It was Sunday morning and I expected hoards of day-trippers like us but actually the town center was quiet and peaceful. What a change from busy Amsterdam! We didn’t have any specific plans for our day in Delft; we just wanted to wander around the historical city center. We saw plenty of tiny, appealing alleys and gorgeous doors. Of course, Delft is also situated on the canals like Amsterdam and like in Amsterdam many people drove bicycles too.

Somehow we found ourselves in the courtyard of the Museum Prinsenhof Delft and saw a rather old-fashioned sweet shop. There were two old ladies selling all sorts of traditional Dutch sweets so my friend M. bought some. I tried a few but I must confess that I didn’t really like them. Then, we continued our walk and saw a striking building with lots of coats of arms. That was Gemeenlandshuis Delfland; the oldest stone house in Delft and the headquarters for the Delfland Water Authority.

We’ve also passed by the Old Church (Oude Kerk) with its very tall brick tower on our way to the main square. We approached the Markt or the Market square from behind the Town Hall. The lovely historical market square is full of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. It’s lined with typical but gorgeous Dutch houses with the renaissance Town Hall at one end and the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) at another end. We decided to go inside a couple of shops selling Delft blue pottery. Delftware is simply stunning but quite expensive so I just got myself a Christmas ornament.

Luckily, it was quite sunny for March so we decided to have a drink in one of the restaurants at the Market square. We weren’t really hungry just yet so we ordered some drinks and some savoury snacks.  The waitress brought some meatballs, cheese sticks and something that quite literally looked like a dog’s poop. I don’t know what it was but it was tasty. It was so relaxing to sip on my Aperol spritz and to feel the sun on my cheeks and just chat with my best friends. No need to go anywhere, no need to think about work or kids’ activities, just us three enjoying ourselves in beautiful Delft. We heard the church’s bells and contemplated about climbing the church tower but felt too lazy to move from our chairs. The New Church has a royal crypt where the members of the House of Orange-Nassau were buried. There’s a monument to Hugo Grotius who’s celebrated as the father of international law in front of the church too. While we were sitting, we read a bit about Delft. Delft is home to Delft University of Technology which is one of the best technical universities in the world, ranking just under MIT. Imagine that, going to uni in such a picture perfect town.

Alas, it was time to get up and see some more of Delft. We turned right from the New Church and found another lovely square lined with restaurants and cafes. That was the Beestenmarkt with its bull statue. Walking along the street we discovered a Roman Catholic church of Maria van Jessekerk. We peeped inside and got out quickly because it looked like it was closing but our friend L. stayed behind. My friend M. and I looked at each other with utter bafflement when we saw a guy closing the big church door. Where was our friend? She soon emerged from some side door and said that she almost got locked up in the church. It was a funny experience.

We continued our whimsical exploration of Delft and came across Vermeer Centrum, a museum dedicated to life and works of the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. I’m sure you’re all familiar with his iconic painting Girl with a pearl earring. Actually, I haven’t read the book or watched the movie about it. However, that painting isn’t in Delft. My friends goofed around with the girl with a pearl earring cardboard figure and made some funny photos while I took photos of some doors.

Later, we walked by the canals and saw a lot of pretty houses. Also, I came across a Christmas shop. I could spend a fortune in those kind of shops but I am very self-disciplined so I usually don’t get anything. Besides, I already bought a lovely Delft blue Christmas ornament.

My friends wanted to eat something so they chose a Vietnamese place near the Market square while I wanted something sweet and Dutch so I got some delicious poffertjes (traditional Dutch mini pancakes). It was time to leave charming Delft and go back to Amsterdam. We spent a lovely day walking around Delft. Sure, we could have done so much more such as visit a couple of museums but we wanted an easygoing day trip without any agenda. We hopped on the train again and after only one hour Amsterdam’s hustle and bustle engulfed us again. I’d gladly return to Delft one day.

We visited Delft in March 2025.