Stories, Streets and Local Bites: A Delft Walking Tour

Delft is one of the Netherlands' most beautifully preserved medieval cities, and it also happens to be a great place to try out some local snacks. On this walking tour, you'll trace Delft's history from its medieval brewing empire to its enduring food traditions, discovering how canals, trade, and a few catastrophic accidents shaped this remarkable city.

The tour starts at the Markt, Delft's vast central square, where a weekly market has been held since the 1100s. From there, you'll wind through the city's historic core, past the Beestenmarkt: a former cattle market now lined with cafés and along quiet streets where Johannes Vermeer once lived with his wife, 11 children, and mother-in-law. You'll learn how Delft's canal network helped it become the Netherlands' biggest beer exporter in the 1500s, and how those same waterways moved butter, cheese, and fish across the country.

The tour continues past the leaning tower of the Oude Kerk, whose architects tried to disguise their engineering disaster with optical illusions. You'll also stop at the Prinsenhof, the former monastery that served as headquarters for Willem van Oranje during the Dutch war of independence from Spain. The tour ends at Stads-Koffyhuis, a charming café where you can try Dutch apple pie made from a recipe first printed in 1514.

On this 60-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Try bitterballen at Moeke, the deep-fried Dutch bar snack traced back to Louis XIV's royal kitchen
• Sample patat speciaal or patatje oorlog at House of Frites, and learn about how snack bar culture began in the 1910s
• Taste Dutch drop at Drogisterij De Salamander, where mysterious gaper sculptures hint at the pharmacy's colourful past
• Try Hollandse Nieuwe, raw pickled herring eaten much the same way as centuries ago, at Just Fish
• Sample local craft beer at Delftse Brouwhuis, built on the ruins of a brewery dating to the 1200s
• Taste cheese bonbons and aged Gouda at 't Kaas Lokaal, where they use traditional techniques to make modern cheese

This tour pairs Delft's rich history with its equally rich food culture.

2 FOOD STOPS WILL NOT BE OPEN ON SUNDAY

1 FOOD STOP WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY