Delft, The Netherlands

Pint-sized DELFT, in between Den Haag and Rotterdam, has a beguiling centre, a pastel-shaded medley of red-tiled houses set beside tree-lined canals interrupted by the cutest of bridges. With justification, it's one of the most visited spots in the Netherlands, but most tourists come here for the day, and in the evening, even in the summer, the town can be surprisingly – and mercifully – quiet. Delft boasts a clutch of fascinating old buildings but nevertheless it's still the general flavour of the place that appeals rather than any specific sight. That said, the two big pulls, as far as the day-trippers are concerned, are the Delftware factories, stuffed with the blue and white ceramics for which the town is famous, and the Johannes Vermeer (1632–75) connection. The obvious place to start an exploration of Delft is the Markt, a handsome square and central point of reference with the Stadhuis at one end and the Nieuwe Kerk at the other, with cafés and restaurants and a statue of Delft's own Hugo Grotius lined up in between.