The Hague

The political and royal city of the Netherlands, home to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis. The Peace Palace, the Binnenhof and Scheveningen beach are all within easy reach.

The Hague (Den Haag) lies on the North Sea coast in the province of South Holland in western Netherlands. It is the seat of the Dutch parliament, government and royal working palace. It also hosts international bodies including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and is known as the 'City of Peace and Justice'. It is leafy and dignified in character, a striking contrast to the bustle of Amsterdam.

Sightseeing falls into three areas. In the city centre, the Binnenhof (the parliamentary complex, under long-term renovation since the 2020s) and the Hofvijver lake are the focal points. The Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery, the Prison Gate Museum, the Prince William V Gallery, the Escher in Het Paleis museum, Lange Voorhout avenue and Noordeinde Palace are all within a 15-minute walk. In the northwest are the Peace Palace, the Panorama Mesdag, the Gemeentemuseum and Madurodam miniature city. Further north by the sea are Scheveningen beach, the pier and the Museum Beelden aan Zee sculpture museum, reached by tram in about 20 minutes. Outside the city, in Wassenaar, is the Museum Voorlinden contemporary art museum.

The best season is April to September. In spring, you can stop by Keukenhof to see the tulips. In summer, the beaches are at their busiest. Winters are wet and windy, but the museums remain open.

Getting there: from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a train takes about 30 minutes to The Hague's Den Haag Centraal or HS station. From Rotterdam, it takes about 25 minutes. Trams are the main way to get around the city, and you can pay with a contactless bank card. Plan to stay 1 to 2 days, and combine the trip with Delft and Leiden.

Note: most museums close on Mondays or have shorter hours. Book timed tickets online in advance for popular venues such as the Mauritshuis.

Top sights

• Mauritshuis – The Hague's treasure trove of Dutch Golden Age paintings, home to Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' and masterpieces by Rembrandt.
• Kunstmuseum Den Haag – Home to the world's largest collection of Mondrian works, including his final, unfinished “Victory Boogie Woogie,” in an Art Deco building.
• Madurodam – A miniature theme park showcasing the Netherlands' famous sights at a scale of 1:25, with interactive features including windmills, harbors…
• Scheveningen – The Netherlands' most famous seaside resort, with a long sandy beach, a pier with a Ferris wheel jutting into the North Sea, and the classi…
• Peace Palace – Seat of the International Court of Justice, a Neo-Renaissance palace funded by Andrew Carnegie, with a free visitor center.
• Binnenhof – The political heart of the Netherlands, where a 13th-century Knights' Hall and parliamentary buildings are reflected in the Court Pond. Maj…
• Escher in The Palace – The Escher Museum in a former royal palace, featuring impossible figures and tessellations, plus an interactive optical illusion gallery.
• Panorama Mesdag – A 360-degree circular panorama painted in 1881. Standing on the dune viewing platform, you feel as if you're on Scheveningen's beach in the…
• Noordeinde Palace – The working palace of the King of the Netherlands. Visitors can take photos in front of the 17th-century facade and the equestrian statue…
• Prison Gate Museum – A 14th-century city gate next to the Binnenhof, converted into a prison. Guided tours cover medieval punishments and the story of the de Wi…
• Prince William V Gallery – The first public art museum in the Netherlands, opened in 1774. Paintings hang from floor to ceiling, preserving the 18th-century display.
• Lange Voorhout – A tree-lined avenue north of the Binnenhof, flanked by 18th-century mansions and embassies. In summer, it hosts an antiques market and outd…
• De Passage – Completed in 1885, this is the oldest surviving covered shopping arcade in the Netherlands. Boutiques and cafés sit beneath an ironwork dom…
• Grote Kerk (St. James' Church) – The oldest church in The Hague's old town, with a hexagonal bell tower and Gothic hall. King Willem-Alexander was baptized here.
• Museum Beelden aan Zee – A modern sculpture museum set in the dunes beside the Scheveningen seafront, with Tom Otterness's fairy-tale sculptures scattered outside.
• Museum Voorlinden – A private contemporary art museum set in the Voorlinden estate in Wassenaar, featuring James Turrell's “Skyspace” and Ron Mueck's giant hyp…
• Louwman Museum – A private car museum with about 275 vintage vehicles, from 19th-century steam cars to James Bond's movie car.
• Japanese Garden Clingendael – The oldest Japanese garden in the Netherlands, in the Clingendael estate. It opens only for a few weeks each in spring and autumn, when the…
• Westbroekpark Rosarium – A park between the Peace Palace and Scheveningen with a rose garden of about 20,000 plants and over 300 varieties, in full bloom in summer.
• The Hague Market – One of Europe's largest open-air markets, with about 500 stalls selling produce, seafood and spices, plus snacks from Suriname and Turkey.

Where to eat

• Garoeda Indonesian Restaurant – A long-established Indonesian restaurant in The Hague, open since 1949, serving traditional rijsttafel in an Art Nouvea…
• Simonis aan de Haven – A long-established fish shop and self-service restaurant at the Scheveningen harbour. Raw herring and fried fish bites…
• Basaal Restaurant – A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant on the canal, serving seasonal market produce with build-your-own tasting menus.
• Calla's Restaurant – A Michelin one-star French restaurant in central The Hague, with vegetables picked daily from its own garden and stando…

Itineraries

• Classic Netherlands Rail Tour – Connect Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, and Utrecht by train, including the windmill village.
• Amsterdam and Day Trips – Stay near Centraal Station: three days in the city, plus day trips to the Alkmaar cheese market and Zaanse Schans windm…
• Amsterdam Art Museums – From Van Gogh and Rembrandt to contemporary art, stay in the museum district, then on the last day, see Vermeer at The…
• Grand Netherlands Loop Self-Drive Tour – A comprehensive loop around the Netherlands, from canal cities to islands, northern water towns, the Hoge Veluwe, and h…