Markt (Market Square), Delft

Markt (Market Square), Delft (must see)

The name "Delft" derives from the word to dig. The digging relates to a canal across the creek wall of the shallow Gantel river. A manor was built here in the year 1075. It was a good place for an important market town of the middle ages. From its beginnings until today, the vast Market Square has been the center of town.

Bordering the square are the Renaissance Town Hall and the 16th century New Church, the Gothic resting place of the royal families of the Netherlands. Near the New Church is the statue of Hugo Grotius, humanist, jurist, poet and playwright of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Visitors to Delft inexorably wind up on the Market Square. It is essentially the center of the old town. Thursdays are market days. The square is jammed with at least 150 covered stalls, offering flowers, vegetables, tasty cheeses, hand-crafted souvenirs, fresh bread, antiques, books and jewelry.

The square also offers clothing, bicycle parts, and electronics. There are pubs and fresh-air terraces, cafes and restaurants. Shoppers, visitors and locals bargaining and tasting together, hip and thigh. One can browse the kiosks, sample cheeses and try out the stoopwaffles.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Delft. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Markt (Market Square) on Map

Sight Name: Markt (Market Square)
Sight Location: Delft, Netherlands (See walking tours in Delft)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Delft, Netherlands

Create Your Own Walk in Delft

Create Your Own Walk in Delft

Creating your own self-guided walk in Delft is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Johannes Vermeer's Delft Walk

Johannes Vermeer's Delft Walk

The Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) spent almost his entire life in his home town, Delft. He left only a few times, towards the end, on the short trips to Amsterdam and The Hague.

The old Delft undoubtedly was one of the most typical little towns of the 17th-century Netherlands, and as such, was rather picturesque. Just like any other Dutch place, Delft was dominated by its...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Delft Introduction Walking Tour

Delft Introduction Walking Tour

The word "delven" in Dutch means "to dig." The town of Delft began in 1075 when a nobleman decided to build his dream manor where a canal crossed the silted up river Gantel. A settlement became a market town with a large market square. The town was called "Delft."

Canals were vital to Delft. Flat-bottomed boats brought in products, fuel and people. In 1246 Count...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles