Delft

William of Orange (William the Silent) was assassinated in this former convent in 1584... becoming the world's first political leader to be murdered by a handgun. — Lonely Planet

Oostpoort is the sole surviving piece of the town's walls. — Lonely Planet

Pottery fans will love visiting Royal Delft, the town's most famous earthenware factory, which has been handcrafting its blue-and-white-painted porcelain since 1653 — Lonely Planet

the Oude Kerk is a surreal sight: its 75m-high tower, which was erected c 1350, leans nearly 2m from the vertical due to subsidence caused by its canal location. — Lonely Planet

A gray-stone edifice with picturesque red shutters and lavish detailing, designed in 1618 by Hendrick de Keyser, one of the most prolific architects of the Golden Age. — Fodor's

Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft in 1632 and lived here until his death...this centre exhibits reproductions of his paintings, screens a short film about his life — Lonely Planet

Former home of 19th-century painter Paul Tétar van Elven. The interior he created is charmingly redolent of Ye Olde Delft, complete with painted ceilings, antiques — Fodor's

Look for the opulent facade of the Gemeenlandshuis van Delfland across the canal from the Oude Kerk. It dates from 1505. — Lonely Planet