It was a lovely day exploring the historic Delfshaven. This former port of Delft (hence the name Delfshaven!) is unlike the rest of Rotterdam.
I roamed the uneven cobbled streets admiring canal houses. Ships lined up the quaysides flanked by 17th-century warehouses. The town’s old church is known as the Pelgrimskerk or the Pilgrim Fathers Church, after the fact that Pilgrim fathers left Delfshaven on 1 August 1620, bound for New World.
Along Voorhaven, there were shops selling antiques and bric-a-brac, several art studios, hip bars, cosy cafes on barges and a brewery called De Pelgrim. A grain mill built in 1727, De Destilleerketel, can be found at the end of this street.
Delfshaven was also the birthplace of one of the Netherlands’ most revered naval officers, Piet Hein (25 November 1577 – 18 June 1629), known for seizing the Spanish silver fleet in 1628.
Truly, a picturesque old city full of charms.