Historic Delfshaven

Delfshaven was dug in 1389 as the seaport of Delft, which had no water access of its own, and it stayed a separate town until 1886, when Rotterdam absorbed it. That separateness is why it exists: the German bombing of 14 May 1940 destroyed the centre of Rotterdam almost entirely, and Delfshaven, a couple of kilometres out, was largely missed - so it holds the only substantial stretch of pre-war Dutch harbour town left in the city, with a canal, gabled warehouses, a lifting bridge, a working windmill and moored historic ships. In July 1620 a group of English separatists living in Leiden sailed from this quay on the Speedwell to join the Mayflower at Southampton; the Pilgrim Fathers' Church at the head of the harbour is where they held their last service. Admiral Piet Hein was born here.

What's there

• A pre-war harbour - the only substantial old stretch left after the 1940 bombing.
• The Pilgrim Fathers' Church - where the Leiden separatists held their last service in 1620.
• Gabled warehouses and a lifting bridge - the working port town as it was.
• A windmill and historic ships - still on the canal at the head of the harbour.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

It is small - a couple of streets and a canal, an hour or two. The church opens on limited hours. The surroundings are ordinary Rotterdam. Bars along the quay get busy in the evening.

Nearby

Rotterdam's centre and Erasmus Bridge are east.