The picturesque city of Delft lies on the River Schie between Rotterdam and The Hague. Its historic Old Town is bordered by canals and home to a delightful market square, many churches, and a number of well-preserved medieval-era houses.In addition to being an important university city, Delft has long been associated with trades and industry, in particular the manufacturing of Delftware, a world-famous form of pottery that has been around since the 17th century and is now experiencing a comeback (you'll recognize it from its distinctive blue and white coloring). In fact, much of the town's most significant architecture dates from the 1700s, when the pottery's popularity was at its peak.Delft is also well known as the birthplace of 16th-century scholar and statesman Hugo Grotius; painter Jan Vermeer, whose famous View of Delft is in the Mauritshuis in The Hague; and 17th-century scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. It's also the former seat of the royal House of Orange, best-known for having produced England's King William III, also known as William of Orange.