STORY | DELFT

A Family Walk in Delft, From the Oude Kerk to the Markt

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Family of four on a canal bridge in Delft, the leaning tower of the Oude Kerk behind them and pink flowers along the white railing

This family walk in Delft began at the leaning tower of the Oude Kerk and ended on the Markt, on hands and knees. Lina and her little brother Sami set the pace. Their parents wanted to keep exactly this stage: a big sister in charge and a little boy just finding his feet.

A family walk in Delft suits little legs, because the old center is small and every corner has a step or a bridge. Afternoons like this are what I love most as a photographer in Delft.

A Family Walk From the Oude Kerk

We met on a canal bridge with white railings and boxes full of pink and red flowers. Behind the family, the tower of the Oude Kerk leans over the treetops, as it has for centuries. Sami rode on his father’s shoulders, while Lina stood on the railing with her mother’s arm around her. The sky stayed white and even, so the faces looked soft and the flowers kept their color.

Father with his son on his shoulders and a mother holding their daughter on the white railing, the Oude Kerk at the end of the canal — The leaning tower of the Oude Kerk, just after four

Two Little Ones on a Black Doorstep

A little further on, we found a tall black door with carved curls. Its stone step was just the right height for two small children. I sat them side by side and played a little game with them, so the faces came on their own. First came two surprised looks, then a hug that nearly tipped Sami over.

Black and white frame of a toddler and his big sister on a stone step, both with hands to their faces in surprise before a carved door

Big sister hugging her little brother with a pacifier on a stone doorstep in black and white, during a family walk in Delft — The carved door, in black and white

After that, Lina could not sit still any longer. She jumped up and swung her teddy bear high above her head, while Sami watched from the step with his soft toy beside him.

Girl in a linen dress swinging a teddy bear above her head by a black carved door while her little brother sits on the step

Family Hugs in a Quiet Delft Garden

Back by the water, Sami got a long kiss on the cheek from his mother. Then we slipped into a quiet garden with an old tree, green borders and a brick path. Here each parent had a few minutes with each child. Lina leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder, and her father crouched down until their foreheads touched.

Mother in a pink headscarf kissing her curly-haired son on the cheek as he hugs a spotted soft toy, during their family walk in Delft

Girl resting her head on her mother's shoulder with a brown teddy bear in her arms, both smiling in a green garden

Father crouching on a brick path with his forehead against his daughter's, a big old tree and green plants behind them

Sami had his own plans. His father pulled his most surprised face, yet Sami pointed past me as if he had spotted something far more interesting.

Father pulling a surprised face while holding his toddler son, who points to the side, in a garden in the old center of Delft

A little later, he stood on the brick path all by himself, with his father’s hands close by. Lina watched with her teddy bear. For small steps like these, I stay low and close to the children.

Toddler in corduroy overalls standing on a brick path as his father bends close and his sister watches, on a family walk in Delft — A brick garden path, a quarter to five

Crawling Across the Markt

We ended on the Markt, between the Nieuwe Kerk and the Stadhuis with its red shutters. The square was busy, but Lina ran straight toward me with her teddy bear while her mother stayed back and watched. Then both parents lifted their children high, with the church tower behind them.

Girl running across the busy Markt in Delft with her teddy bear while her mother watches, the Nieuwe Kerk tower behind them

Mother and father lifting both children high on the Markt in Delft, the tall Nieuwe Kerk tower rising behind the laughing family

Meanwhile, Sami discovered the cobblestones. He set off on hands and knees, and his father followed with the empty stroller. Soon Lina joined him on all fours in front of the Stadhuis, while their mother walked behind them, smiling.

Toddler crawling over the cobblestones of the Markt in front of the Stadhuis in Delft as his father follows with a stroller

Sister crawling next to her little brother on the Markt, their mother walking behind them by the Stadhuis, on a family walk — The Stadhuis on the Markt, around five

The last frame belongs to the parents. For a moment it was just the two of them: he kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, with the gables of the Markt behind them. It was a gentle end to a family walk in Delft that never once felt like a photoshoot.

Father kissing the mother's forehead as she closes her eyes in a pink headscarf, the gables of the Markt softly blurred behind

Planning a walk with little ones of your own? Discover how I work as a photographer in Delft.