Oude Kerk (Old Church), Delft (must see)

The Old Church, nicknamed "Old John," is a Gothic Protestant temple in Delft whose most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower leaning about two meters from the vertical. The layout followed that of a traditional basilica, with a nave flanked by two smaller aisles. The church was founded as Saint Bartholomew's in 1246 on the site previously occupied by other temples for two centuries.

There are three pipe organs inside the church: the main one (installed in 1857), the north aisle (installed in 1873), and the choir (installed in 1770). The most massive bell in the tower, cast in 1570 and called Trinitasklok or Bourdon, weighs nearly nine tonnes. Because of its strong and potentially damaging vibrations, it is rung only on special occasions, such as the burial of a Dutch royal family member in the nearby New Church.

The Old Church is also notable as the last resting place of Johannes Vermeer – the artist was buried here on 15th December 1675 in a family crypt in the northern transept, bought by his mother-in-law Maria Thins in 1661. His grave remained unmarked for some time because, upon the artist's death, his family had no money for a tombstone.

Today there are two markers for Vermeer's burial site: an austere plaque installed in 1975 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his death; and a new, more elaborate tombstone, added in 2007, near the western
entrance. This creates a bit of confusion regarding the exact location of Vermeer's tomb. One thing is certain, though, that the artist rests in the company of some truly excellent citizens of Delft.