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The Hague

The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: originally Image:Ltspkr.png 's-Gravenhage, officially Image:Ltspkr.png Den Haag) is the third-largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of 475,580 (as of January 1, 2006) (population of agglomeration: 600,000) and an area of approximately 100 km�. It is located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland, of which it is also the provincial capital.

Center of town

Plein. Walking south into town from Centraal, along Herengracht and Korte Poten, you will come across Plein. This square — its name simply translates as 'square' in English — is one of the most elegant in the center of town. Located right next to the Binnenhof, if is lined with historic government buildings on three of its four sides. The north side is lined with bars and cafés, which spill out onto the square in summer. These pavement cafés are quite popular with politicians from the neighboring Binnenhof, and indeed the Prime Minister himself (easily recognisable by his resemblance to Harry Potter) can be spotted here with a pint regularly. The square is also the preferred place for many demonstrations against government policies. The statue in the middle is that of William of Orange, heralded as the founding father of the Dutch nation.
Binnenhof. Since the 13th century the Binnenhof ('Inner Court') has subsequently been the seat of the government of the county of Holland, the Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It used to be a castle, surrounded by moats on all sides. Since then it has been modified countless times to accomodate the expanding Dutch government. The moats have been filled, but the castle still borders on the Court Pond (named Hofvijver): in its water the old buildings continue to mirror themselves. Today, the Binnenhof houses the two chambers of the Dutch parliament and Prime Minister's office, in a small round tower opposite the Mauritshuis. Enter through one of the gates on Plein or Buitenhof and you will find yourself in a medieval enclosed courtyard, surrounded by architecture from the 13th up to the 19th century. There may be crowds here sometimes, because of demonstrations, TV shootings or receptions of foreign officials. In the middle stands the Knight's Hall, the original centerpiece of the castle, now used for ceremonial purposes. The Knight's Hall is accessible in guided tours. Unfortunately, the other splendid rooms of the complex are closed to the general public. It is possible to attend the meetings of the parliament, however. The Tweede Kamer (second chamber) of parliament meets daily and has a new gathering room since 1992. The Eerste Kamer (first chamber) meets monthly, and does so in one of the most splendid Dutch 17th century interiors that the country has to offer. If you can get into a meeting do so, especially for the lavishly painted ceiling.
Mauritshuis. Housed in 17th century palace overlooking the water of the Court Pond, the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis contains the former collection of last Dutch stadtholder William V. The museum is quite small, but the average quality of its old Dutch masters is excellent. It contains world famous works by Johannes Vermeer (,), Rembrandt , Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Hans Holbein and others.
Bredius Museum A private collection of Dutch Baroque art.
Museum de Gevangenpoort. De Gevangenpoort (Prison gate) was built in 1370 as an entrance gate to the Binnenhof complex; from 1420 it was also used a prison, and has been used as a such up to early in the 19th century. In 1853 it was converted into a museum. For a taste of medieval justice, have a look at this museum's collection of torture instruments and enter its original medieval cell blocks.
Lange Voorhout. From either gate of the Binnenhof walk west, pass the short side of the Hofvijver, and you will reach Lange Voorhout. This former extension of the Hague Forest is now a huge tree-lined square, bordered on all sides by the grandest 18th century townhouses the city has to offer. Note the especially the huge baroque 'Huis Huguetan' on the long west side, home to the Dutch supreme court. The square is especially pretty in spring, when its crocuses are in bloom. On thursdays and sundays there is a very good antique and book market. In summer, the square hosts Den Haag Sculptuur , a yearly free outside sculpture exhibition. The tenth edition , in 2007, celebrates the 400 years of the relations between The Netherlands and Australia.
Escher in het Paleis. This former royal town house was recently converted into a museum dedicated to the famous Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. The first three floors display prints, sketches and archive material showing how Escher progressed from realistic pictures to his later optical illusion and geometrical patterns. The top floor offers a trip through Escher's worlds through 3d graphic headsets.
Denneweg. From Escher in het Paleis on Lange Voorhout, past the huge and posh Des Indes hotel, short Vos in Tuinstraat leads westwards up to Denneweg. This street is a good area for antique and specialty shops. It also has some good pubs and restaurants, although expensive, with upper-class atmosphere to match. Parallel to the Denneweg run Hooigracht and Smidswater, two of the few quaint canals in the city, with which other Dutch towns and cities are so well endowned.
Paleis Noordeinde. This royal palace is currently the one Queen Beatrix uses as her office. It is not open to the public, but the grand 17th century façade can be admired from the Noordeinde street. Noordeinde itself has a large number of art galleries. There are gardens on the other side of the palace that are available for a stroll.
Panorama Mesdag. The Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting from 1881, more than 14 meters high and 120 meters in circumference. The vista of the sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village was painted by one of the most famous painters of the Hague School, Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world in its original site.
De Verdieping van Nederland. Free exhibition showcasing the history of the country through original copies of its historically most significant documents. It has the original copy of peace treaty of Münster with Spain, marking the end of the 80-year Dutch independence war in 1648, and the original sales act of the Dutch purchase of Manhattan from the Indians.
Oude stadhuis. The orignal old town hall is nice but rather small building from the 15th century; at the time The Hague itself was a small town, mere a settlement around the Court. It was extended in the 18th century. This part has a grand facade facing the 15th century (Great Church), originally the city's main place of worship, but now in use for events and occasional exhibitions.
Stadhuis. Early in the nineties the municipality moved to this enormous white building by American architect Richard Meier, nicknamed by locals as the Ice Palace. Walk in to have a look at the lofty main hall (atrium), which has exhibits on various topic related to the city. The two air bridges through the hall connecting the various offices had to be fenced off to prevent suicides but still make for a nice view of the atrium below. The city hall borders a large, somewhat barren modern square with a bassin-less fountain. It contrast sharply with the Baroque (New Church), located in a small park in the other side of the road.

Statenkwartier Area

The Statenkwartier area, located conveniently between the dunes and the city center, has leafy avenues and 19th century housing that is very popular with The Hague's large ex-patriate community. The area is nice for a walk as the 19th century mansions provide for great architectural diversity: all kinds of neo-styles are represented, but pay special attention to the attention to the examples of Art Nouveau architecture which abound here, as they in the city center. Good shop, delicatessens and restaurants are to be found on Statenkwartiers main street, Frederik Hendriklaan, or 'Fred'. The area also has number of tourist attractions which make it worth a visit, clustered around the Gemeentemuseum on Stadhouderslaan.

Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Gemeentemuseum (Municipal Museum) has a good collection of classical modern art (Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Monet, Sisley, Picasso, Degas, Bacon). It boasts an especially large collection of Mondrians, showcasing the entire career of this painter known for his works with red, blue and yellow shapes. The Gemeentemuseum also has a large selection of paintings of the Hague School, a nineteenth century movement of landscape artists, in addition to period rooms and collections of fashion, musical instruments and decorative arts. The rotating exhibitions on 19th and early 20th century art held here are usually quite popular with the general public. The museum is housed in a 1938 yellow brick building by Dutch architect Hendrik Berlage, a pioneer in modern architecture, best-known for his Beurs van Berlage, the exchange building on the Damrak in Amsterdam. Next to the Gemeentemuseum are the GEM, with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, and the Fotomuseum Den Haag, which has rotating photography exhibitions.
Museon. Interactive popular-science museum, very popular with school groups.
Omniversum. Cinema with a round screen, offering a 360 degree viewing experience. Runs Discovery-style documentaries; some are aimed at children.
Vredespaleis, The Peace Palace was built in 1913, to house the Pemanent Court of Arbitration, which was hoped to provide with a means to settle international disputes legally. Ironically, World War I broke out just a year later. Today the Peace Palace also houses the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial body of the UN, which settles disputes between countries only.

Scheveningen

This sea-side resort was originally an independent fishing village, but soon came to be part of greater city of The Hague. Its inhabitants still maintain a sense of local identity, however. The area is divided into three parts: Haven is the seaport where fishers' boats still come in. It is not particularly picturesque like some French or Spanish fishing harbors, but some good fish shops and restaurants are available. Dorp is the former fishermen's village itself. The last part, Bad (meaning bath, not bad) is the beach resort that most visitors head for. The resort has a history of long royal and well-to-do visitors, but its 19th century grandeur has largely disappeared now due to unfortunate property development in the seventies. The area gets very crowded in summer. For large-scale nightlife, most city dwellers prefer Scheveningen to the center of town. From Centraal take tram 9 or bus 22; from Hollands Spoor and center of town take tram 1 or 9. All these are in headed to Scheveningen Noorderstrand, which is in Scheveningen Bad. Tram 11 takes you from Hollands Spoor to Scheveningen Haven.

Kurhaus. This former bathouse and concert venue dates from 1886 and it the only remaint of the 19th century beach resort. It is currently in use as a luxury hotel and still serves as the icon and centerpiece of Scheveningen.
Pier. Opposite the Kurhaus lies the Pier, which was rebuilt in the sixties after the 19th century orginal was destroyed in World War 2. It affords nice views of the coast line with the Kurhaus. At the end is a restaurant which is mainly good for its views.
Museum Beelden aan Zee. This museum has a largely collection of contemporary sculpture and rotating exhibitions. It has been recently built in the dunes sand underneath a 19th century classicist beach pavillion. It has glass walls and roofs that allows views of the surrounding dunes, pavillion and sea.

Elsewhere

Madurodam. This miniature city contains a selection of Dutch architecture, ranging from Amsterdam's canals and church spires from Utrecht and Den Bosch, to modern architecture from Rotterdam and the enormous Delta works that protect the country from the sea. Madurodam also has an airport, a seaport, beaches, and little cars and trains running through the entire town. This is a great attraction for kids (and those young at heart).
Paleis Huis ten Bosch, The home palace of Queen Beatrix, Huis ten Bosch, is in the middle of greenery of the Haagse Bos. (The Hague forest). The palace is not open to visitors.

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Nearest places of interest:

Haagse Bos
Katwijk
Peace Palace
Madurodam

Voorburg
Leidschendam
Wateringen
Schipluiden