Delft

The great cobbled square at the heart of the city, lined with cafes and terraces, between the town hall and the Nieuwe Kerk. You cross it on leash and the Dutch terraces happily welcome well-behaved dogs over a waffle or a coffee.

The Gothic church on the Markt whose tall tower dominates the city and whose crypt holds the tombs of the House of Orange-Nassau. Dogs are not allowed inside or up the tower, but you can easily walk around it on leash on the square.

The old church, recognisable by its tower clearly leaning over the canal, where Vermeer is buried. The interior is closed to dogs, but the quay alongside it and the nearby bridge make a lovely leashed walk along the water.

The network of canals lined with gabled houses and the hofjes, those flowery, peaceful inner courtyards hidden behind gateways. It is all walked on leash along flat, cobbled lanes, ideal for strolling with a dog away from traffic.

The Royal Delft manufactory, the last historic maker of blue Delftware still working since 1653, with its museum and hand-painting workshops. Dogs are not allowed in the workshops or the museum for hygiene reasons.

The large wooded recreation park east of the city, with its bathing lake, its trails and its dog free-run zone. It has an official hondenlosloopgebied and a spot where dogs can swim, the best address for a real off-leash break.