Delft
Delft is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, which was already established as early as 1246. Delft is nicknamed ‘de Prinsenstad’ (the Princes’ City), because William of Orange, the first in the Dutch royal line, held court in Delft in the 16th century. Other famous historical figures who once lived and worked in Delft are the painter Johannes Vermeer and the inventor of the microscope, Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek.
Delft has a pleasant, well-preserved, lively historical centre, with characteristic canals, ancient merchant houses, old churches and the splendid city hall, making it valued by tourists throughout the year. Visitors can choose from a variety of good-quality accommodations. Delft has approximately 96,000 inhabitants, including a significant share of students and employees of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The university has attracted a large number of technology-oriented companies.
Delft is situated at 15 minutes by train from Rotterdam and 7 minutes from The Hague. The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, is less than 1 hour away by train. International participants may want to travel via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam The Hague Airport (both of which give easy access to Delft) or high speed international trains via Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague.
More information can be found on the official website of Delft or on WikiTravel.
Picture credits: Juanribiano’s