Historical sites

Although it is easy to forget when walking through the narrow Medieval streets in the centre, The Hague is one of the greenest cities in the Netherlands because of its many parks and other green zones. The Hague is home to both some of the richest and poorest neighborhoods in the country. A big part of the Dutch history is still visible in The Hague, with a lot of street names referring to the former Netherlands East Indies. A large part of the west of The Hague was destroyed during WW II. Het Plein and the Grote Markt are the two main squares in the centre of The Hague.

Lange Poten is one of The Hague’s most visited shopping areas. The Passage is the oldest shopping mall in the Netherlands.

The centre of The Hague is full of historical buildings and definitely worth a visit. Located in the centre of The Hague, the Binnenhof is where all political matters take place. Some parts of this historical building are believed to be built as early as the 13th century, other parts were added later. Close to the Binnenhof is the Gevangenpoort. This former Medieval prison is now a museum with various execution and torture instruments.

The Grote Kerk or Sint-Jakobskerk shares the honor of being the oldest building in The Hague with the Binnenhof. Although this church is now mainly used for other things, the Dutch Royal Family still comes to this church for weddings and baptism ceremonies.

Paleis Noordeinde is the “workpalace” of the Dutch Queen Beatrix. The garden, called the Paleistuin, is open to the public.

The Hague is very well connected to the rest of the Netherlands, both by car and public transport. The cities Leiden en Delft (where the original Delftware comes from) are very close, but any other city in the Netherlands, like Rotterdam or Amsterdam, is close enough for a daytrip.

Scheveningen is part of The Hague and the most popular beach of the Benelux.

Museums

Beelden aan Zee is the only museum in the Netherlands devoted only to modern sculptures.

Fotomuseum Den Haag is located next to the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag and has 6 different exhibitions a year by different photographers.

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag has the largest collection of the work of Piet Mondriaan in the world. It also has an impressive collection of other modern art, like some paintings of Pablo Picasso, but also some costumes and instruments. The basement of the museum is especially set up for a younger audience and offers some more interactive exhibitions.

Gevangenpoort was originally a prison in Medieval times and is now a museum on execution and torture instruments This museum is not suitable for very young visitors. This museum is closed until the fall of 2009 because it is being renovated.

Haags Historisch Museum has a very wide collection of interesting historical art and artifacts, like the tongue of Johan de Witt and a toe of his brother Cornelis. While the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is being renovated, the Haags Historisch Museum is exhibiting part of its historical collection.

Louis Couperus Museum is dedicated completely to the writer Louis Couperus. It has rooms that are decorated with the authentic belongings of Louis Couperus and give good insight in the world as It was over a century ago. The museum also offers some good tours through the city that will take you by all the sites in The Hague that influenced Louis Couperus. You can not only see where Louis Couperus lived, but also where the characters in his book walked.

Mauritshuis is a museum with about 800 paintings, prominently made during the Golden Century. It has some of the best work from artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen and Frans Hals. This museum has the paintings “The girl with the pearl earring” and “The anatomy lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” on display all year around. Muzee Scheveningen has a large collection of seashells from all over the world. It also has an aquarium and paintings where fisherman play a prominent role.

There is also a theme park in The Hague, called Drievliet. There are some typical carnival attractions and rollercoasters.

Madurodam is a 1 on 25 scaled miniature Dutch city. It is located in The Hague and gives a different perspective on Dutch buildings from all over the country. See all the cities and important landmarks of the Netherlands in one go! If you would like to rent a full size, but typical Dutch apartment in the centre of The Hague, please visit our apartment section to book your apartment in The Hague now.