King’s Day in Delft: Orange Crowds, Canal Yard Sales and William of Orange

Delft sits just beside The Hague, and on King's Day — Koningsdag — the whole of the Netherlands turns orange. I walked the canals and the street markets on that day: families selling from blankets, boats full of music and drinks, and a city that still carries the story of William of Orange, the man the Dutch call the Father of the Fatherland. Here is the film:

Why Delft, and why King's Day

William of Orange spent much of his life in Delft, and he was assassinated here in 1584. His tomb stands in the Nieuwe Kerk on the Markt. King's Day itself is the official birthday of King Willem-Alexander, celebrated every year on 27 April — or the Saturday before if that date falls on a Sunday. Until 2013 it was Queen's Day on 30 April; after the abdication it moved to the new king's birthday. People wear orange for the House of Orange-Nassau, take the day off work, and turn the streets into one big outdoor party.

Orange everywhere: King's Day is the Netherlands' loudest national holiday.

Orange crowds and canal boats

I filmed on a bright day after a run of rain, and that mattered. When the sun is out, Delft fills up: bikes lined along the canals, families on the water, bands playing from floating platforms, and drinks changing hands as the boats drift past. It is a family day as much as a party day — grandparents with grandchildren, students selling old clothes, and children learning to take money for pancakes or vinyl.

One of Delft's canals on a quieter day — on King's Day they fill with boats and orange crowds.

Public urinals appear along the canals for a practical reason: without them, people pee into the water or against front doors. It looks odd if you are not used to it, but it is better than the alternative. As the afternoon goes on and the drinks keep coming, the streets get louder. Midday still felt fairly relaxed when I was there; later it gets wilder.

The vrijmarkt: canal-side yard sales

The heart of King's Day for many Dutch families is the vrijmarkt, the free market where anyone can sell almost anything from a blanket on the pavement. In Delft the stalls ran along the canals and side streets: toys, clothes, religious memorabilia, pancakes cooked by children, and students clearing out their flats. Prices I heard were often around a euro an item. It is not really about making money. A graduate named Wolf told me he was selling simply because it is tradition — a way to talk to people. Kids who cannot yet play an instrument sometimes put up a sign asking for money for music lessons. That, too, is part of the day.

Beestenmarkt, one of Delft's lively squares — on King's Day squares like this fill with stalls and orange.

Food places stay open; bike shops and many other businesses close. Ice cream queues form when it is hot. Dutch frites with mayonnaise are everywhere, and the mayonnaise here is worth trying even if you think you dislike it.

William of Orange and the Nieuwe Kerk

The Nieuwe Kerk on the Markt, where William of Orange is entombed.

Delft is not only a party town on this day. William of Orange led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule and is remembered as the founder of the independent Netherlands. After he was shot in Delft, he was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk; the great mausoleum there was completed in the early seventeenth century, and most of the House of Orange-Nassau have been laid in the royal vault beneath it since. The vault itself is not open to the public, but the church and the tomb are a central stop for anyone who wants the history behind the orange.

The Markt looking toward the Nieuwe Kerk — the natural gathering point of the city.

I also passed the Oude Kerk, where the painter Johannes Vermeer is buried. Between the two churches, the canals and the Markt, you get Delft's whole story in a short walk: revolt, royal memory, art, and a living Dutch city that still knows how to celebrate.

My verdict

If you want to understand Dutch national culture in one day, come to Delft — or anywhere in the Netherlands — on King's Day. Wear orange, bring cash for the vrijmarkt, expect crowds and music on the water, and leave time for the Nieuwe Kerk. It is July 4th energy with better canals.

Changing money for the Netherlands

If you're changing pounds or dollars into euros for the trip, check Money Maps first. It's the app we built to show bureau de change rates on a map, so before you hand over your cash you can see how one shop compares with the others nearby and roughly what you'd get. Cash still comes in handy on King's Day, when the vrijmarkt stalls run on coins and small notes. Rates are indicative and can change, so always confirm at the counter.

Download Money Maps for iPhone and give it a try on your next trip.

Stay connected on arrival

Sort your data before you fly, because you will want maps and bookings working the moment you land. I recommend Roamless for an eSIM you can set up at home. Use code ENGLISHMAN50 for 50% off.

Where to stay in Delft

Use the map below to compare places to stay in Delft, or browse hotels on Booking.com and Airbnb:

Things to do in Delft

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Plan your trip

• Hotels: Booking.com

• Apartments: Airbnb

• Tours and activities: Viator

• Private transfer: GetTransfer

• eSIM: Roamless (code ENGLISHMAN50 for 50% off)

Flights

Flying in? Compare fares to Amsterdam or Rotterdam below.

Sources: my King's Day walk in Delft on film; the date and history of Koningsdag from Time and Date and Dutch public sources; William of Orange's tomb and the royal vault from the Royal House of the Netherlands and the Oude en Nieuwe Kerk Delft; Vermeer's burial in the Oude Kerk from the same church sources. Crowds, stalls and prices on the day are from my film. Check local advice before you go — times and street closures change.

Photos: King's Day orange crowd by Paul van de Velde (CC BY 2.0); Oude Delft canal by Ludvig14 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Nieuwe Kerk from the Markt by MatteoNL97 (CC BY 4.0); Beestenmarkt by Michiel1972 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Markt with Nieuwe Kerk by Jan Geerling (CC BY-SA 4.0); all via Wikimedia Commons.

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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman