What Is There To See In The Hague? 20 Must-Visit Attractions in the Hague, Netherlands
The Hague is the Netherlands’ third-largest city and has been the political capital of the country for hundreds of years. Over the past 100 years, the Hague has become home to many international organizations, and the city has grown close to the United Nations. Even though these political factors are important, there’s a lot more to The Hague than just government. The city has a lot of interesting places that tourists, travelers, and day trippers will enjoy.
The Royal Cabinet of Paintings has been in Maurithuis since the 1800s. It has many masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, which is considered to be his best work. Jacob van Campen, who also worked on the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, helped design part of this stately building.
Binnenhof is a historical site.
Binnenhof
Historical Landmark
Elaborate Gothic palace on the shores of Hofvijver lake in the Hague
During the 13th century, several Dutch counts built an elaborate Gothic palace on the shores of Hofvijver lake in the Hague. This complex from the Middle Ages was eventually given to the Dutch parliament, which turned it into the center of democracy in the Netherlands. Even though both houses of parliament still meet in the Binnenhof, special guided tours give people the chance to see the building.
Madurodam Amusement Park
Madurodam
Amusement Park
Amusement Park
This huge miniature theme park has thousands of tiny copies of famous places in the Netherlands, like the Binnenhof, Dam Square, and the Dom Tower. The number of miniatures at Madurodam is really impressive, and everything in the park has been made with great care to show what Dutch architecture looks like.
Louwman
Museum
The Louwman Museum’s collection
The Louwman Museum’s collection has more than 200 old cars, motorbikes, and buses from every important time in the history of automotive technology. Many of these old cars are from the beginning of the 20th century, and the Louwman Museum has a few that are important to culture, like one of Elvis Presley’s Cadillacs.
In 2002, the Hague’s Lange Voorhout Palace was turned into a state-of-the-art M.C. Escher museum. Its collection has a lot of well-known prints, lithographs, and woodcuts by Escher. It also has a number of interactive exhibits that show how the artist used math to make his art.
This huge ferris wheel is on top of the northernmost walkway on Scheveningen Pier. It spins above the Hague’s beautiful coastline. The ferris wheel is 40m (131ft) above sea level, so from its gondolas you can see many nearby towns and cities.
Huis ten Bosch
Historical Landmark
Huis ten Bosch, The Hague, The Netherlands
Over the past 400 years, many well-known people have lived in Huis ten Bosch, which is now owned by the Dutch Royal Family. Official sources say that King Willem-Alexander and his family will move into the palace and make it their official home in the near future.
The Peace Palace
Building
Black and white photograph of the Peace Palace in the Hague taken in 1922
Since the early 1900s, the International Court of Justice and several other important legal groups have been based in The Hague’s Peace Palace. There are guided tours of the palace on certain days, and there is a visitor center there all the time.
In 1880, the Dutch marine painter Henrik Willem Mesdag was asked to make a huge panoramic seascape of the Hague’s coast. This incredibly detailed painting was eventually put on a 40-meter (131-foot) cylinder that was built just for it. Since then, the panorama has been on view in The Hague, where it still gets a lot of attention every day.
Bungy Scheveningen
Sports Center
Bungy Scheveningen
This scary attraction is at the end of the Scheveningen pleasure pier, on top of the spiraling tower. At Bungy Scheveningen, thrill seekers can jump off a 60-meter-high (197-foot-high) platform and then bounce freely over the Hague’s coast.
Gemeentemuseum
Museum
Zicht op een deel van het Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Architect Berlage
Gemeentemuseum has the largest collection of Mondrian paintings in the world. Many of these groundbreaking paintings and a large number of other de Stijl works are always on display. The museum was built by a modernist pioneer, H P Berlage, and is a great example of his work.
Scheveningen Beach Park
Scheveningen Beach
Park
Scheveningen Beach
Scheveningen Beach is a popular place for Dutch people to hang out in the summer, and a lot of day trippers come to this beach town when the weather is nice. The beach is about 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city center of The Hague and is easy to get to by tram or bike.
Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife Sina van Houten were both well-known artists in the Netherlands in the 1800s. During their lives, they collected many works of art that are now on display in their old home. This collection has a lot of important works of art from the 19th century that were made by famous artists like Gustave Courbet, Anton Mauve, and Charles-Francois Daubigny.
Even though Kijkduin isn’t as popular as Scheveningen, there are still a lot of reasons to visit this smaller beach town. Its natural dune landscapes, for example, are absolutely beautiful and offer unbeatable views of the western coast of the Netherlands.
Haagse Bos
Natural Feature
Bord bij een ingang van het Haagse Bos in Den Haag. Vlakbij de kruising Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië en de Leidsestraatweg.
Haagse Bos is one of the oldest forests still standing in the Netherlands. It is a rectangle of land that stretches from the center of The Hague to a small town called Wassenaar. The forest has always been an important part of the history of The Hague. When the Binnenhof first opened, it was built with wood from the forest.
The only museum in the Netherlands that is all about sculpture is Beelden aan Zee. It has a large collection of works by famous Avant-Garde artists like Man Ray and Karel Appel. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum often puts on temporary shows of Dutch and international sculptures.
Clingendael
Park
Model of Huys Clingendael in The Hague, South Holland at Madurodam
Since the middle of the 20th century, people have been able to visit the gardens around Clingendael manor, which are known for their stunning natural beauty. This wonderful estate has a Japanese garden that was carefully planned and has many real Japanese items and rare and exotic plants.
Sea Life Scheveningen
Aquarium
Sea Life Scheveningen
Sea Life Scheveningen takes care of a lot of aquatic animals, like sharks, penguins, and clown fish, among others. This colorful group of animals lives in several zones that are set aside for certain species or habitats.
Kinderboekenmuseum
Amusement Park
Entrance Dutch Literature Museum and Children’s Literature Museum, The Hague (The Netherlands)
The Kinderboekenmuseum is a place where Dutch children’s books are kept and shared. It has many well-known characters from Dutch literature, like Kikker and Nijntje, in its kid-friendly, interactive exhibits (Miffy).
The stone keep near the Binnenhof in The Hague has been a prison for serious criminals for more than 400 years. During that time, it has held many famous people from Dutch history. This medieval building is now a museum about the history of crime and punishment in the Netherlands. It is an educational place that is good for the whole family.
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