Netherlands · Provincie Zuid-Holland · Rotterdam
Delfshaven, Rotterdam — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Delfshaven is an old harbour district of Rotterdam, on the right bank of the Nieuwe Maas.
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Where to stay in Delfshaven
How the choice of base plays out on the ground.
Rooms cluster near the water. The preserved lanes around the Voorhaven and Achterhaven hold the small guesthouses and canal-side dining, so most visitors base themselves along the old quays and walk in from there whenever they want the harbour on their doorstep. Larger hotels sit over toward central Rotterdam, a short tram ride to the east, though the historic core keeps a quieter feel.
Find hotels in Delfshaven
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Voorhaven
Restored merchant houses and jenever quays line the Voorhaven, the front basin where the Pilgrim Fathers once boarded the Speedwell. Lodging is scarce in this area; reserve in advance.Find hotels in VoorhavenGuests preferring the calmer back-harbour lane behind the AelbrechtskolkAchterhaven
The Achterhaven keeps the quieter inner basin behind the Aelbrechtskolk, steps from the Pelgrimvaderskerk yet away from the busier front quay. Rooms are few around here — worth securing early.Find hotels in AchterhavenHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Rotterdam
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Dubbelde Palmboom (Delfshaven) Heritage
- Museum Rotterdam
- Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd Museum
Churches & Religious Sites
3- St. Laurentius Heritage
- Pilgrim Fathers Church Heritage
- St. Mary's Church Heritage
Landmarks & Notable Places
2- VolDom
- Korte Dijkstraat 11, Rotterdam
worth knowingacross 3 categories in and around Rotterdam
About Delfshaven
What are the main landmarks in Delfshaven?
The harbour sets every landmark. Along the Voorhaven the Distilleerketel windmill still turns above the jenever quays, while the Pelgrimvaderskerk, the old church the Pilgrim Fathers used before they sailed on the Speedwell, stands close by among the merchant houses. A statue of Piet Hein marks the local admiral.
These sights ring the water. The Achterhaven and the Aelbrechtskolk carry the same preserved façades a little further back from the Nieuwe Maas.
What is the history of Delfshaven?
Delft dug the port in 1389. The town took shape as Delft's outlet to the sea, and its name records that link, growing on fishing, shipbuilding and the distilling of jenever while the Dutch East India Company kept wharves and warehouses along its quays. Piet Hein was born here.
On 1 August 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers left aboard the Speedwell, and the once-independent town was finally annexed by Rotterdam in 1886.
Where is Delfshaven?
Delfshaven lies on the right bank of the Nieuwe Maas, on the western side of Rotterdam. Its preserved core gathers around the Voorhaven and Achterhaven basins, hemmed by the Coolhaven to the north and the Westzeedijk toward the river, with the wider city stretching east toward the centre. The old town sits low against the water.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Delfshaven?
Voorhaven: Visitors wanting canal-side rooms along the front harbour quay near the Distilleerketel windmill. Achterhaven: Guests preferring the calmer back-harbour lane behind the Aelbrechtskolk.
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Updated September 2026