What to do during a city break Delft

In the heart of Delft, on the cosy Doelenplein, you will find Hotel de Plataan. Green is the new gold' flaunts on the façade, referring to the hotel's green character. After all, here you sleep in one of the most sustainable hotels in the Netherlands. And if that's not enough, you can also stay in a special themed room. All rooms are designed with nature and culture in mind. I slept one night in the Mangrove Room. A room full of tropical rainforest details, with a large bathtub in the corner to make the most of the paintings. Only the church bells of Delft reminded me that I was actually sleeping in the Netherlands.

Hotel de Plataan has a Golden Green Key certificate and is committed to reducing their impact on the environment in many ways. For example, breakfast waste goes to chickens. Honey comes from their own bees and they use fair trade and organic products. They also have 100% green electricity, refillable packaging-free soap for the bath, eco-friendly cleaning products and lots of energy and water-saving measures. These details make me happy.

When I spend the night somewhere, I prefer crazy places. Hotel de Plataan's themed rooms are just that. Besides the Mangrove, you can also imagine yourself in Eastern spheres, or how about a Delft blue room?

A city trip requires good food and there is no shortage of cool hotspots in Delft. These are four of my favourite places to eat and drink.

1. Grand Café Hanno

When you enter Groots Café Hanno, you no longer imagine yourself in Delft. Owners Hugo and Kim are passionate world travellers and bring all their adventures together in this café. Behind every dish is a story and every piece of furniture has a memory. For instance, the pillowcases come from Kenya and the teacups from Thailand. From breakfast to dinner and drinks, here you feast on worldly dishes.

2. Angie's Juicebar

On Choorstraat, you will find Angie's Juicebar. A cosy place for a healthy breakfast or lunch. They make fresh smoothies and cold-pressed juices, bowls and delicious (vegan) sandwiches. The owner enthusiastically told us about the places in Delft we should not miss (besides this Juicebar). With an oat cappuccino to-go, we then explored the rest of Delft.

With art and Delft, many people undoubtedly think of Johannes Vermeer and Delft Blue pottery. This art is certainly there too. But there is more you can do in Delft. During your city break, also discover the following places:

1. Smallest museum in the world

In front of coffee house Uit de Kunst you will find the smallest museum in the world; an old-fashioned phone box where a different artist shows his works every month. At the coffee house, they serve homemade apple pie with fresh coffee and the shop sells all kinds of art deco furniture.

Museum Paul Tetar van Elven

Apart from Vermeer, Paul Tetar van Elven also left his mark in this city. This artist and collector, born in 1823, thought Delft was just a dull place. Perhaps that was the reason why he donated his house full of precious works to the city after his death. The museum was a fact: full of his portrait paintings, drawings and watercolours, antiques from the Dutch Renaissance, and seventeenth- and eighteenth-century porcelain from China, Japan and, of course, Delft.

Admittedly, shopping is not what I explore a city for, but these lovely shops caught my attention.

1. Concept store PLECK

At PLECK you will find everything. This shop brings together the stuff of small entrepreneurs: trendy clothes, handmade jewellery and unique home accessories. In the back of the shop, you can also enjoy a cup of coffee, high tea or delicious sandwich. Shopping at its tastiest.

2. Concept store Voorlopig

There is no shortage of concept stores in Delft. At eccentric department store Voorlopig, budding entrepreneurs sell their handmade goods. So Voorlopig's constantly changing offer is always a surprise. On their terrace or inner garden you can also enjoy a delicious cake.