Weekend in Delft with Sjoerd and Koen

Weekend in Delft with Sjoerd and Koen

Versatile Delft!

We - Koen and Sjoerd - live in Schiedam, which is only 20 minutes away from Delft. We have been to Delft several times, but never really. Always just briefly, without exploring the city. So how nice it is that we are now in Delft for a weekend to get to know this city.

A 1001-night stay at Hotel de Plataan

We sleep in Hotel de Plataan. As we drive up, we immediately notice that this is located on a very cosy little square, with several nice terraces, which are unfortunately empty right now given the temperature. The hotel is very surprising. The café and restaurant downstairs looks very modern and well cared for, while upstairs has a completely different vibe, where the hall is painted like a meadow landscape and our room is completely in Arabian spheres. Truly a 1001-night feeling, but for 1 night. Big plus to the room is the bath, which we don't have at home. So both evening and morning use it!

What we can always really enjoy in a hotel is a nice breakfast, after all, a good start is half the battle. Breakfast at the Plataan is definitely a treat: good coffee, croissants, eggs freshly fried and much more. Delicious.

Theatre and exhibitions: culture galore

Whenever we visit a city, we always like to check out the cultural offerings, in different areas. So on the first evening we go to Theater de Veste where the Ashton Brothers are playing. This turns out to be an hour and a half of continuous spectacle, very clever how these gentlemen fuse song, dance, acrobatics and form into one show!

On day two, we take the cultural activities further. That starts with a visit to the Vermeer Centre. We already know Vermeer's work - because who doesn't know The girl with the pearl earring - but it soon ends there. It is nice and manageable in size that does give a lot of insight into Vermeer's work. What particularly fascinates us is how cleverly he subtly incorporates light and incidence into his paintings.

We also visit art space 38CC, a small exhibition space currently showing an exhibition about stopping endless production of stuff. An interesting starting point for diverse (conceptual work). Interesting and 38CC is very accessible to just walk in.

What strikes us - walking through the city - is how knus the city is. Pretty old houses, canals and bridges everywhere. Despite being in the city, many places are still really quiet, in a good way. Throughout the city we come across nice little businesses, from pretty terraces to cosy pubs and nice restaurants.

Vega feast: surprising choice

As we eat vegetarian food, we search for vegetarian restaurants and we do not disappoint. We dine at The Harvest, where you can completely compose your own meal and it is really hard to choose, because everything sounds delicious. Our lunch at Hummus is also really great, it takes us back to our holiday in Tel Aviv years ago.

Local shopping and strolling through the streets

In between, we also visit some nice little shops. That is what strikes you in Delft anyway, still many small shops and boutiques. Something you don't see in every city anymore, unfortunately. It makes it fun to walk around the city and just pop into a shop once in a while. Our favourites: Rejoes, where you can find good vintage items at a normal price! And Stone Paper Scissors, where, in addition to beautiful jewellery and bags, you can especially find a large collection of 'pussy cards'. You can't not like those!

City walk through Delft

To get to know Delft well, we booked a guided city walk. Turns out: we are the only two who booked this. Our guide knows ónext to nothing about Delft's history and can talk endlessly about details of important buildings and people. When occasionally our knowledge is tested, we come off badly. Although it is a lot of information, it is very interesting to do. It's not a lot of walking, but a lot of listening. You really see the city in a different (historical) perspective. As far as we are concerned, of added value to understand the city a bit,

After 1.5 hours of walking we are - despite the winter sunshine - chilled and we understand that there is no better place to warm up than Kobus Kuch, which is famous for its apple pie. Nothing too much said, this is good apple pie with a huge topping of whipped cream, the way we like it. The perfect end to a fine weekend.

Delft surprises: small, knus and complete

Our final verdict on Delft is very positive. What we really like is that the city has everything, but is also really small and knus. You can walk everywhere and come across nice little shops. It really has a lot of variety which makes it interesting for many different visitors. If you like shopping and sitting on a terrace, Delft is the place to be. There are many nice cosy squares, pubs and boutiques. But if you are more into the historical aspect, Delft is also great. There is so much to tell about Delft's history and the city really breathes history through all the old buildings, making it a very picturesque Dutch destination!

Delft is not big, but it has a lot. We will definitely come back in summer to explore all those fine terraces!

Discover for yourself why Hotel De Plataan, 38CC, the Vermeer Centre and a vintage & vegan day out in Delft are so highly recommended. Go on an adventure and experience Delft the way Sjoerd & Koen did!