Old Canal, Delft

Old Canal, Delft

A quick walk from the Old City finds the Old Canal, crossing the city from north to south. This is the first canal of Delft. It was dug in 1100 as the town was founded. It extends mainly through the Noordeinde. The canals were primarily made to drain the land. Later they were used for transport of products especially peat.

Delft canals are at a level with the streets, making them unique compared to other canal cities in Europe. Canals in Delft are still used for transportation of people and goods and water management. Water taxis are available as well as private boats. Boats or taxis can be rented by phone or by flagging one down. Delft is best seen by water.

The Old Canal, is a great way to explore the city by day or by night. The canal is lined with picturesque old houses such as the Begijnhof with its late Gothic tower and the "Hidden Shelter Church" built by Daniel Merot in 1743 for persecuted Catholics.

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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Old Canal on Map

Sight Name: Old Canal
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.
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
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