10 Exciting things to do in the Dutch City The Hague

Planning a trip to the Netherlands? Definitely take The Hague in consideration to visit during your time in the Netherlands. It’s a beautiful city which has a lot to offer. From Amsterdam it’s only approximately an hour travelling by train and even better with great weather: the beach is nearby! In this article I will give you some tips if you’ve The Hague on your list of places to visit.

1. Take a walk around the Binnenhof

The Binnenhof is the political center of The Hague and is located in the center of the city. It’s a big complex of buildings which houses the meeting place of both houses of the State’s General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of General Affairs and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. The complex was built in the 13^th Century and is located next to the Hofvijver lake. It is nice to walk around the Binnenhof and to have a nice view over the complex when you are on the other side of the lake.

2. Go into the Mauritshuis

Right next to the Binnenhof, you can find the Mauritshuis. Not only is this building nice to admire from the outside, it is also worth to pay a visit on the inside (if you’re a fan of museums). The Mauritshuis is home to the Best of Dutch painting from the Golden Age. Masterpieces such as Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a pearl earring’ and Rembrandt’s ‘The anatomy lesson of dr. nicolaes tulp’ are on permanent display in the intimate rooms of this seventeeth-century monument.

The Mauritshuis is open each day from 10:00 until 18:00. Only on Monday the museum is open from 13:00 until 18:00 and on Thursday the museum is open from 10:00 until 20:00. A ticket costs € 14,-. If you are younger than 19 years old, you can enter the museum for free. If you have a student card, you can have a discount and only pays € 11,- for a ticket.

3. Pay a visit to Noordeinde Palace and the Peace Palace

Two beautiful palaces which are both definitely worth a visit, even it’s only from the outside! Noordeinde Palace is close to the Binnenhof and the Peace Palace is more towards Scheveningen and Madurodam, but also easily to reach by foot from the city center.

Noordeinde Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Since 2013, it has been used as the working place for King Willem-Alexander. The Peace Palace is home to two judicial institutions, the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The palace was built in 1913 to house the Permanent Court of Arbitration and a library.

4. Discover the highlights of the Netherlands in miniature at Madurodam

Madurodam is a park just outside of the center of the Hague where you can discover the stories of the Netherlands in a surprising way. The miniature models are exact replicas of special buildings and objects within the country. Madurodam has three themed areas, namely City Centre, Water World and Innovation Island. The City Centre area shows how the Netherlands has grown from our old cities to the country we see today. The Water World shows how the Netherlands deals with water as a friend and as a foe. The Innovation Island shows the international success of our entrepreneurial spirit and innovative strength.

This park is nice to go to with your children. The children can play on the playground which has the name The Waddenzee. A day ticket for Madurodam costs €14,50 when you buy it online and €16,50 when you buy it directly at the desk of the park. The park is open every day from 11:00 until 17:00.

5. Spend a night gambling at the Holland Casino

At the seaside place of The Hague, Scheveningen, you can find the Holland Casino. Here you can not only find a varied gamble (game) selection, but also a great restaurant, nice bars and exclusive areas with a surprising programme. Do you like gambling and having a nice night out? Then this is the place to be! Holland Casino is open every day from 11:30 until 03:00 in the morning. Besides, the restaurant is open until 01.30!

6. Dine at the highest restaurant of the Netherlands

The Penthouse is the highest restaurant of the Netherlands. It is located at the highest floors of the Hague Tower and is inspired by the famous Flatiron building from New York. The restaurant is located on a height of 135 metres and has such a unique location. From this place, you can have a breath taking view over the city. You can have diner, lunch or just a nice drink. The tasteful dishes are made by the Dutch chef Bart Middendorp and are presented in an international ambiance with special background music. It’s smart to reserve a table beforehand on the official website. You can reserve lunch between 12:00 and 15:00 and dinner between 18:00 and 22:00.

7. Take a walk through the Haagse Bos

The Haagse Bos is the city forest of The Hague. Here you can have a nice walk, a relaxing afternoon or an active day in the ‘playforest’ by building cabins. The Haagse Bos is a peaceful and green area in a hectic city.

8. See a movie in theatre Omniversum

With a screen that spans a massive 36 metres wide and 18 metres high, Omniversum is the biggest theatre in the Netherlands. Seeing a movie in this theatre, gives you an ultimate experience: ‘don’t just watch the movie, become part of it!’. Most movies you can watch in Omniversum are movies about the planet, animals and other scientific themes.

9. Have a drink on the Grote Markt (Great Market)

The Grote Markt is the place to be for a night out in The Hague! Not only can you have a nice afternoon on the terrace at one of the many bars and restaurants on the square, but there are also many events organized during the weekend for the evening. There is always something to do. When you’re visiting The Hague, the Grote Markt is definitely a must visit.

10. Visit the seaside place Scheveningen

If you are planning to stay more than one day in The Hague, definitely think about Scheveningen to visit. This is absolutely a must and even more when the weather is great. In Scheveningen you can find the beach, many beach bars and nice restaurants. Here you can spend a nice and relaxing day.

Have you ever been to the Netherlands and The Hague? What did you think about the city?

Author: Tamara

This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.

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