Delft Netherlands Travel

Delft, a must-see city during your visit to the Netherlands

Delft is a town in southern Netherlands, located midway between Rotterdam and Hague and has 94,098 inhabitants (2005).

The city dates from the twelfth century, in 1246 receiving from Count William II the charter of citizenship rights. Since 1355 experienced great prosperity reaching the size which it had until the nineteenth century.

In 1572, in Delft establishes residence William of Orange, the one who led the Dutch army in battles against Spain in the 80 years war. During this period defensive walls were built, and the city became one of the most important in the Netherlands. In 1584, when William of Orange was murdered, the ruling family necropolis, Breda, was under Spanish occupation, so William was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Delft, thus starting the tradition of burying the royal family members at Delft a tradition that is preserved even today.

In 1654, a large part of the city was destroyed by the explosion of an ammunition store, when more than 100 people died and two hundred houses were wiped off the face of the earth. In 1660 a new warehouse was built, this time, located about 1 mile away from downtown.
In time, Delft was affected by several fires, of which the most devastating was the one from 3 May 1536, when, for reasons still uncertain, the New Church tower went up in flames (most likely struck by lightning) and burned over 2300 houses.

The Dutch East Indies

Founded over more than 400 years ago, was one of the largest trade companies in the world, owning a fleet composed of over a hundred vessels and having thousands of employees and offices in Asia and in six cities in the Netherlands (Delft being one of them).

Attractions in Delft

Downtown preserves many old buildings, and many streets are crossed by canals.
Among the historical objectives that must be mentioned:

1. Oude Kerk (Old Church) - buried here are Piet Pieterszoon Hein and Anthony van Leeuwenhoek.
   
2. Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), built between 1381 and 1496, shelters the necropolis of the Dutch royal family, which, among funerals, is covered with a tombstone of 11 000 lb.
   
3. Prinsenhof (Royal Court), today a museum.
   
4. City Hall.
   
5. Oostpoort (Eastern Gate) - built around the year 1400, is the only part that is kept from the old walls of the fortress.
   

Culture and Arts

Delft is famous for porcelain and porcelain objects produced here - this craftmanship was brought from China in the seventeenth century by Company Dutch East Indies seafarers.

Painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was born in Delft. His favorite subjects were the streets and house interiors of the city, which he also used as backgrounds and backgrounds for his paintings.
In Delft was also born Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), inventor of the microscope.

Education in Delft

In Delft there is a famous university, formed in 1842, when the Royal Academy of Civil Engineering (current Technical University) was founded as a necessity imposed by the industrial development of the country. The presence of the university in Delft makes it so that the population counts many young people between 18 and 30 years.

Leisure

In the eastern city of Delft is situated Hout Delft - an area where there is a recreational lake where people can swim and whose sides are mostly beach sand.

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