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.
About Delfshaven
Where to stay in Delfshaven
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
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.
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.
Good for
More areas in Rotterdam
Updated July 2026