Delft from above, Delft

Climbing the tower of the new church in the centre of the city is a must really. The steps are steep, very narrow and there are LOTS of them but the view over the city and the surrounding countryside is wonderful. Go early when it is not so busy because not only the stairs are narrow but the platform around the top of the tower is also very narrow. We managed to time our visit with that of a school class and it was very crowded up there.

Windmill "De Roos", when open for publi"c, has one of the most spectacular views over the town's centre from it's trans. A narrow staircase leads up to the "wooden balcony" that surrounds the windmill halfway and tops over the roofs of the houses. Views are - in my opinion - better then from the top of the New Church, merely because you miss this significant building in your view when standing on top of this churchtower. Now it is, together with the old, right in fornt of you. The see of black and red roofs is also typically Dutch and makes a colourful scenery with the contrasting blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

4 more images

The lee side offered respite and I was taken by how much new Delft varied from its ancient centre.
The church adjacent doesn't encourage visitors and is not on much of the literature available while the same can't be said of the town hall in the Markt and the old church in the second pic.
3 & 4 show the side of Delft you definitely don't see on tourist brochures, one features a well knownd Swedish furniture manufacturer and the other is a sample of the bland apartment blocks of modern Netherlands, such a contrast to the wonderful old clock and tower in pic 5.