Delft: Royals, Porcelain & Vermeer

Overview

Few Dutch cities have such a rich history as Delft. It was here that in 1584 William of Orange, the “Father of the Fatherland” was murdered in the Prinsenhof, where you can still clearly see the bullet holes. He is buried under the New Church, where also many other members of the Royal “Van Oranje” family are buried. But Delft is also the city of the world-famous Delfts Blauw porcelain, a lovely inner-city with enchanting canals, as well as  the beloved painter Johannes Vermeer. During this day we visit the Royal Blue factory and see how highly detailed paintings are put on a wide variety of porcelain. We make a boat tour through the canals, enjoy a guided tour through the old centre with the Old- and New Churches, and learn more about Vermeer in the Vermeer Center.

UPDATE 20 SEPTEMBER 19H00: We have only one spot left for this trip. You can book as long as the book now button is still active. You can find all practical trip details here ⋙

Pictures

This antique map of Delft clearly shows the canal structures, a bit similar to Amsterdam.

We start our day with a visit to the Royal Delft factory. Here they produce the world-famous Delft Blue porcelain. It is the only porcelain maker that is allowed to use the predicate "Royal" in its name. | © Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed

Delft Blue comes in many shapes.

The "Visbrug" (Fish Bridge) in the heart of the city | by Michiel1972 (own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Some canals are not very wide.

Along the many canals you can see many typical canal houses.

One of our first stops is the Prinsenhof, where William of Orange was murdered in 1984.

The Prinsenhof

The Delft City Hall on the main market square.

The Nieuwe Kerk in Delft

The East Gate

The famous picture "The Milkmaid" by Johannes Vermeer.

Statue of Hugo Grotius, considered one of the founding fathers of international law | by Steven Lek (own work), via Wikimedia Commons

The Delft Technical University is one of the world's leading engineering schools. | by Natubes (own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Delft Army museum | by M. Minderhoud (own work), Wikimedia Commons

Program

As with any Expat Club trip our schedule is carefully designed so we can optimally see all local destinations. Still, unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic jams, may influence our program. This rarely happens, but rest assured your host, the bus driver and the various destinations in Delft will do their best to give you the best possible experience.

08h15 – Departure Place Schuman
10h45 – Arrival Delft
11h00 – Royal Delft porcelain factory
12h30 – Lunch in Royal Delft (optional)
13h20 – Walk to boat
13h30 – Canal Cruise (not included if booked after 4 September)
14h30 – Guided tour with visit to Oude Kerk / Nieuwe Kerk
16h00 – Visit to Vermeer Centre (with audio guide if booked after 4 September)
17h30 – End of visit & free time
19h00 – Departure
21h15 – Return Brussels

Royal Delft

Royal Delft is the last remaining earthenware factory from the 17th century. The renowned Delft Blue is still entirely hand painted according to centuries-old tradition. At the Royal Delft Experience you will discover the complete history and production process of Royal Delftware. Here, you can feel our painters’ passion during a painting demonstration, admire our Delftware museum collection and wander through the factory where craftsmen are busy producing the products. (source: Royal Delft website)

At Royal Delft we will also have a nice Dutch lunch, which consists of hot soup, various sandwiches, hot quiche and fresh fruit salads. Unlimited coffee, tea and orange juice is included. This lunch is optional, but normally 80-100% of the participants join for such lunches. Please note that the Royal Delft factory is too far from the centre to just walk up and down before we depart by boat.

Historic Delft

Located next to a canal, the city of Delft got it’s name from the verb delve, which means digging. It remained a village for a few centuries but received city rights in the middle of the 14th century. William of Orange, who carried the nickname William de Silent, lived here from 1972 as he was leading the resistance agains Spanish occupation. Delft quickly became one of the most important cities of Holland. By 1581 it became the capital of the newly formed The Netherlands and the official seat of the Prince of Orange. In 1584 William was shot in the Prinsenhof, with the bullet holes still visible 435 years later. He was buried in the New Church, which since then became the official burial place for members of House of Orange, including Queen Juliana and Prins Claus, the mother and husband of former Queen Beatrix.

Delft in many ways resembles the current capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam. With its many canals and beautiful canal houses, churches and other buildings, it is a great place for a canal tour. We there discover the city by boat for 1 hour after visiting the Royal Delft factory, followed by a professionally guided tour by foot. We walk along the Prinsenhof, visit the Old and New Churches and see the main square with the magnificent city hall. We end our walk at the Vermeer Centrum Delft.

Vermeer Centre

A visit to Delft without a visit to the Vermeer Centrum Delft is not complete. We will visit the centre with two professional museum guides. Experience the life, the work and Delft, the city of the 17th-century master of the light: Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675).

• • See reproductions of the original paintings in chronological order
  • Get a glimpse into the life of Johannes Vermeer
  • Experience his work methods and step into one of his paintings
  • Find his secret love messages

Transportation

We will travel with a modern 4* luxury coach with reclinable comfort seats and a lot of leg space. The bus has an onboard toilet, bar, and air-conditioning. We leave at 08h15 from Place Schuman, at the bus stop next to the KBC Bank. We return around 21h00 to Brussels.