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The Hague Attractions
One of the pleasures of spending a day or more in The Hague is ambling through its genteel streets. Stroll past the mansions that line Lange Voorhout, overlooking a broad avenue of poplar and elm trees, and you’ll be struck by how these spacious, restrained mansions differ from Amsterdam’s gabled, ornamented canal houses. Take time out in more than 30 sq. km (12 sq. miles) of parks, gardens, and other green spaces within the city limits or head out to The Hague’s sophisticated seacoast resort, Scheveningen, on Tram no 1.
The Royal Palaces
The working palace for King William-Alexander and his staff, the splendid neoclassical Paleis Noordeinde, Noordeinde (tram: 1 or 10), west of Lange Voorhout, dates from 1553. It was elegantly furnished when William of Orange's widow was in residence, but it became almost derelict by the beginning of the 19th century. In 1815, restoration brought it back to a state suitable for the residence of King Willem I. It is from here that the King, on the third Tuesday of September each year, departs in a golden coach drawn by eight horses, escorted by military corps, bands, local authorities, and a blaze of street pageantry, to proceed to the Binnenhof, where she officially opens Parliament with an address to both houses of the States General in the Ridderzaal.
The King's official royal residence is Paleis Huis ten Bosch (House in the Woods Palace), in the Haagse Bos (Hague Woods; bus no. 4 or 43). For many years, it had been the royal family's summer residence, and originally a small, rather plain structure consisting of several rooms opening from a domed central hall. Prince Willem IV added the two large side wings in the 1700s. Note: The palace isn't open to visitors, but you can view it from the park.
Rising Roses -- In the Rosarium in Westbroekpark (tram: 9), more than 20,000 roses from 300 different varieties bloom each year between July and September. It's open daily from 9am to 1 hour before sunset, and admission is free.
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- Landmark
Binnenhof & Ridderzaal (Inner Court & Hall of the Knights)
The magnificent Binnenhof, the 13th-century hunting lodge of the counts of Holland, is the center of Holland's political life. It now houses the First and Second Chamber of the Staaten-Generaal (States General), an equivalent to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate,… - Museum
Escher in Het Paleis (Escher in the Palace)
Behind its elegant neoclassical 17th-century facade, the palace was formerly the winter residence of Queen Emma of the Netherlands and later the home of Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. He lived from 1898 to 1972 and traveled throughout Europe, living in Italy and Switzerland and… - Museum
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (The Hague Municipal Museum)
The outstanding Gemeentemuseum forms part of a museum complex surrounding a small lake along with the science-themed Museon (see below), the Omniversum 3D movie theater (see below), the Den Haag Museum of Photography, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Housed in a honey-hued brick… Madurodam
To see "Holland in a Nutshell," head to the wooded dunes linking the Hague and the coastal resort of Scheveningen. This enchanting display of a miniature, fictitious city sprawls over 170 hectares (70 acres) in the Scheveningse Bosjes (Scheveningen Woods). Typical Dutch townscapes…- Museum
Mauritshuis
One of the greatest art galleries in The Netherlands the Mauritshuis was once the residence of Count Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, a scion of the ruling House of Orange. This small but delightful neoclassical mansion from 1637 sits astride the Hofvijver lake just outside the… - Show/Film
Omniversum
In Holland's only IMAX theater, ultra-large format documentary films are projected onto a screen on the inside of a giant dome, for an audience who settle back in 300 comfortable chairs to watch the show, immersed in dramatic digital images and waves of surround-sound audio effects.… Panorama Mesdag
If you don't have time to visit Scheveningen, you can sort of view the Hague's seacoast resort here. The panoramic painting, with a circumference of 119m (395 ft.), is of the fishing village of Scheveningen in 1880. Its dunes, beach, fishing boats, and everything else in the village…- Museum
Vredespaleis (Peace Palace)
American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated over a million dollars towards the construction of this immense mock-Gothic palace, home to the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The building was designed by French architect Louis Cordonnier and…
More About The Hague Attractions
The Hague Shopping
Interesting shopping areas include Oude Molstraat and Denneweg in the center city, where there's a concentration of authentic Dutch stores. Connected to Centraal station, the modern New Babylon shopping mall has two floors with more than 60 stores, restaurants, and a luxury hotel.
A network of pedestrian streets offers a big selection of stores on Spuistraat, Vlamingstraat, Venestraat, and Hoogstraat. The covered Passage, Holland's oldest "mall," is an elegant 19th-century arcade running from Spuistraat to Gravenstraat, a block from the Binnenhof. An upmarket department store nearby is worth checking out: De Bijenkorf, Wagenstraat 32 (tel. 0900/0919; www.bijenkorf.nl), in a stunning example of functional early-20th-century architecture, stands on Grote Marktstraat.
Noordeinde and Oude Molenstraat are home to fashion boutiques, antiquarian booksellers, and expensive delicatessens. Leading off from Lange Voorhout, Denneweg and Frederikstraat are lined with high-priced antiques, interior-design stores, and specialist boutiques.
Among the top shopping attractions are a number of fine antiques stores and a weekly antiques and book market under the canopy of trees on Lange Voorhout. The market runs May to September on Thursday from 11am to 7pm and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Year-round on Wednesday, there's an organic farm market on the square around the Grote Kerk from 11am to 6pm.
The Hague Nightlife
Spuiplein, several blocks west of Centraal station, is the city's modern cultural square. Here you'll find the Zuider Strand Theater, Spuiplein 150 (tel. 070/880-0333; www.zuiderstrandtheater.nl; www.ldt.nl), where the Hague's Residentie Orchestra and the renowned Netherlands Dance Theater perform. If you're more into jazz, rock, hip hop, and experimental music, check out Paard van Troje, Prinsengracht 12 (tel. 070/360-1838; www.paard.nl).
The Hague's natural formality somewhat subdues its nightlife, but there is a thriving bar and cafe culture. Plein, a large square in front of the Tweede Kamer (lower house of Parliament), is a favorite for recess with politicians and civil servants. The Grote Markt square is lined with busy bars and restaurants, ranging from traditional brown cafes to trendy designer spots.
