Delft is a small town in southern Holland that, much like Amsterdam, has many canals running through the city center, most every building and road built depending on where the canals go. Although there was a massive explosion due to a large amount of gun powder that caught fire, there are still quite a few old buildings, which are generally the main tourist attractions in the city. If you have never been to the Netherlands, Delft will give you a good feel of the scenery and culture of Holland which is relaxed and cozy with beautiful architecture. If you make it to the city, these are a few sites you should check out:

1. Oude Kerk

The Old Church was founded in 1246 and is Gothic architecture with the interior laid out like a basilica. One characteristic that makes this church stand out is the fact that the tower is not completely vertical. Once the tower was built, it slowly started leaning outwards, assumingly due to a slightly shifted course of the canal across from it.

2. Nieuwe Kerk

Many of the House of Orange-Nassau royalty are located in the Nieuwe Kerk's mausoleum making it a key destination for history buffs. Construction began on the church in 1381 and over 30 members of royalty are entombed here.

3. Prinsenhof

This is a mansion that is built in a rural area of Delft. The name means Princes' Court and started off as a monastery before it became the home of William the Silent (entombed in Oude Kerk). Today it is a municipal museum. It is said that you can still see holes left by bullets from when William the Silent was murdered in the Prinsenhof walls.

4. Eastern Gate

In the 1400s, Delft was accessed by city gates. In 1510, these were enhanced to be more powerful and modern. In the 1800s, all were torn down except the East Gate (Oostpoort). This dates back to 1400 and is now an art gallery and private home.

5. Paul Tetar van Elven Museum

This house built after the explosion and fire in 1536 houses many antique artifacts including paintings and ceramics. The interior style of the house is very unique even to international standards. In the drawing room, van Elven contacted Abraham Gips to paint the old masters' names along the ceiling. Entrance fees are about $5 per adult. The times and dates they are open are very limited so check out www.museumpaultetarvanelven.nl for details.