Just a short walk from the attractions around the Old City of Delft is the Old Canal (Oude Delft). Traversing the city from north to south, this lovely stretch of water — believed to have been built in the early 1100s — is lined with many picturesque houses. Fun things to do day or night include exploring this romantic area on foot or by bike.Other interesting old houses can be seen in the neighboring Voorstraat, Hippolytusbuurt, Wijnhaven, and Koornmarkt, many of them overlooking stretches of the Old Canal. Also of note is the Begijnhof with its Late Gothic tower and a Baroque "hidden church," built by Daniël Marot in 1743, in which Catholics worshipped in secret during times of persecution.