With exams and “herfstvakantie” drawing nearer, all work and no play makes life in Delft very dull. Here are some tips for things to do when you%re itching to get out and have some fun.
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One of Delft’s lesser-known museums is Lambert van Meerten, a big old house on the Oude Delft canal. The museum’s piles of Delft Blue tiles, stunning staircase and lovely garden views, offer a good insight into how Delft’s rich people lived a century ago. Nearby, on the Sint Agathaplein, is a delightful little shop filled with traditionally made toys and sweets, where you can taste old-fashioned Dutch candies like kaneelstok and spek. You%ll recognize this shop by a big sign saying, “Verfwaren en borstelwerk“.
If you’re more into combining culture with hands-on activity, Royal Delft offers workshops that teach you how to paint your own Delft Blue tile, thus creating the perfect gift or souvenir. For those who crave fast and furious action, Bleekemolen Indoor Kart Planet is the place to race. Located on the outskirts of town, Bleekemolen is very popular with locals but does cost 14 euros for a 12-minute drive; however, its website currently offers a 2 euro discount voucher that you can print out and use before December the 31st.
Want to do something that doesn’t cost a thing? Visit the Arboretum (Korftlaan), a pleasant tree-filled park that is especially colorful in autumn. Or, if the weather is good, take a book and picnic lunch to the Doelentuin, a small park in the center of town that is surrounded by architecturally interesting houses. And, if you really want to get a sense of residential Dutch architecture, take a stroll in the ‘Delftzicht’ neighborhood along the Schie canal (look for Plein Delftzicht or Crommelinlaan on the map).
Because there’s always a good chance that it’s going to be pouring down with rain, you too can do the thing that Dutch kids (and some older ‘kids’) love doing: riding through the rain on a bicycle. Of course, you might first put on a rain suit and Wellington boots before you set off riding through as many puddles as you can find!
When lunchtime hunger strikes, two excellent lunch spots are Kleyweg’s Stads-koffyhuis (Oude Delft), which serves ‘award-winning sandwiches’, and Benjamin%s Bagels & Coffee (Voldersgracht). Should you long to leave Delft for an afternoon, visit Donner Bookstore & Café in Rotterdam; it%s one the country%s largest bookstores and has foreign language sections. Or, on the weekends, head for the Darling Market, located in neighbouring Rijswijk, which hosts different theme-fairs each weekend. This weekend (18-19th) it’s the PC Discount fair, followed by a Gothic & Fantasy weekend (25-26th). If you%re into free-entry markets packed with all the wonders of multicultural Holland, visit the Haagse Markt (Hobbemaplein) in Den Haag, where you%ll not only see a whole different side of the country but also find vegetables, fish and foods not available in regular Dutch supermarkets.
At night, live music can be heard at De Tobbe (Binnenwatersloot) on October 18th, when Queen cover-band ‘Miracle’ climbs on stage. Tickets cost 9 euros and should be bought in advance. If you like Salsa, Speakers (Burgwal) hosts Salsa Sunday every week from 20:00-01:00. Outside of Delft, live (popular) piano music can be heard every night from 19:00 to 3:00 at Crazy Pianos in Scheveningen: entrance is free before 21:00.
www.gemeentemusea-delft.nl
www.royaldelft.nl
www.raceplanet.nl . .
www.donner.nl
www.darlingexpo.nl . .
www.crazypianos.com
www.speakers.nl
www.weekendjeweg.nl
With exams and “herfstvakantie” drawing nearer, all work and no play makes life in Delft very dull. Here are some tips for things to do when you%re itching to get out and have some fun.
One of Delft’s lesser-known museums is Lambert van Meerten, a big old house on the Oude Delft canal. The museum’s piles of Delft Blue tiles, stunning staircase and lovely garden views, offer a good insight into how Delft’s rich people lived a century ago. Nearby, on the Sint Agathaplein, is a delightful little shop filled with traditionally made toys and sweets, where you can taste old-fashioned Dutch candies like kaneelstok and spek. You%ll recognize this shop by a big sign saying, “Verfwaren en borstelwerk“.
If you’re more into combining culture with hands-on activity, Royal Delft offers workshops that teach you how to paint your own Delft Blue tile, thus creating the perfect gift or souvenir. For those who crave fast and furious action, Bleekemolen Indoor Kart Planet is the place to race. Located on the outskirts of town, Bleekemolen is very popular with locals but does cost 14 euros for a 12-minute drive; however, its website currently offers a 2 euro discount voucher that you can print out and use before December the 31st.
Want to do something that doesn’t cost a thing? Visit the Arboretum (Korftlaan), a pleasant tree-filled park that is especially colorful in autumn. Or, if the weather is good, take a book and picnic lunch to the Doelentuin, a small park in the center of town that is surrounded by architecturally interesting houses. And, if you really want to get a sense of residential Dutch architecture, take a stroll in the ‘Delftzicht’ neighborhood along the Schie canal (look for Plein Delftzicht or Crommelinlaan on the map).
Because there’s always a good chance that it’s going to be pouring down with rain, you too can do the thing that Dutch kids (and some older ‘kids’) love doing: riding through the rain on a bicycle. Of course, you might first put on a rain suit and Wellington boots before you set off riding through as many puddles as you can find!
When lunchtime hunger strikes, two excellent lunch spots are Kleyweg’s Stads-koffyhuis (Oude Delft), which serves ‘award-winning sandwiches’, and Benjamin%s Bagels & Coffee (Voldersgracht). Should you long to leave Delft for an afternoon, visit Donner Bookstore & Café in Rotterdam; it%s one the country%s largest bookstores and has foreign language sections. Or, on the weekends, head for the Darling Market, located in neighbouring Rijswijk, which hosts different theme-fairs each weekend. This weekend (18-19th) it’s the PC Discount fair, followed by a Gothic & Fantasy weekend (25-26th). If you%re into free-entry markets packed with all the wonders of multicultural Holland, visit the Haagse Markt (Hobbemaplein) in Den Haag, where you%ll not only see a whole different side of the country but also find vegetables, fish and foods not available in regular Dutch supermarkets.
At night, live music can be heard at De Tobbe (Binnenwatersloot) on October 18th, when Queen cover-band ‘Miracle’ climbs on stage. Tickets cost 9 euros and should be bought in advance. If you like Salsa, Speakers (Burgwal) hosts Salsa Sunday every week from 20:00-01:00. Outside of Delft, live (popular) piano music can be heard every night from 19:00 to 3:00 at Crazy Pianos in Scheveningen: entrance is free before 21:00.
www.gemeentemusea-delft.nl
www.royaldelft.nl
www.raceplanet.nl . .
www.donner.nl
www.darlingexpo.nl . .
www.crazypianos.com
www.speakers.nl
www.weekendjeweg.nl
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