Find out all the hidden facts of the interesting city of Delft
Discover Delft with an audio tour that takes you through a city full of history, art and royal stories. During this self-guided walking tour, you’ll stroll along atmospheric canals, historic squares and famous landmarks such as the New Church, the Old Church, the Prinsenhof and the Markt.
Along the way, you’ll hear about Johannes Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery, William of Orange and the dramatic events that shaped the city forever. With the CityAppTour app, you explore Delft at your own pace, without a guide or group, while the stories behind the facades, churches and hidden courtyards bring the city to life.
Why Visit: This 14th-century Gothic tower leans more than Pisa's famous counterpart, yet locals barely notice.
Built to rival older churches, the Nieuwe Kerk houses Dutch royalty in its crypts below. The tower tilts two meters off-center - a construction flaw that became Delft's quirky trademark. Climb 376 steps for views across the city where Vermeer painted his masterpieces.
The Story Behind: This square once echoed with cattle bells and sheep bleating during Delft's biggest weekly market.
Farmers drove livestock here every Thursday for over 400 years. The name literally means "beast market" - nothing fancy about it. What tourists see as a charming cobbled square was actually a muddy, noisy trading ground that made Delft wealthy.
Ever Wondered: How does a medieval building survive when everything around it burns down repeatedly?
Delft's city hall faced three major fires, yet this Gothic gem kept standing through clever 17th-century additions and pure luck. The red shutters aren't decoration - they're functional fire protection that actually worked. Inside, wedding ceremonies still happen in the same hall where William of Orange once held court. The building's mixed architectural styles tell stories of survival and adaptation.
What You'll Find: Two massive brick towers connected by a gatehouse that controlled access to medieval Delft for over 500 years.
This eastern gate watched merchants, soldiers, and plague victims pass through its arches. The portcullis mechanism still works - locals demonstrated it as recently as 1960 during a town celebration. Notice how the towers lean slightly inward. That's not age - it's intentional medieval engineering designed to strengthen the structure against attacks.
Back in 1246: Master builders started this church without realizing they were building on unstable peat soil.
The result? A tower that leans, floors that slope, and walls that shift with the seasons. Vermeer lies buried here, along with scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek who discovered bacteria. The crooked spire has become Delft's most photographed landmark.
Local Secret: The exact location of Vermeer's house remained a mystery until historians finally pinpointed it in 1982.
Most visitors walk past this modest building on Markt square without knowing the Girl with a Pearl Earring was likely painted here. Archaeological evidence suggests Vermeer's mother-in-law owned the property, solving centuries of speculation. The audio guide Delft reveals how recent research connected this building to several famous paintings through window angles and light patterns.
