The Hague

The Hague (or Den Haag in Dutch) is the 3rd largest city in the Netherlands and is the seat of government in the Netherlands. The Hague offers many museums, attractions and is the hometown of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Royal Palace

At Het Noordeinde you can see the Royal palace of Queen Beatrix. The 16th century building is one of the four places of the Royal family and is used by the Queen as a working palace. The palace is not open to the public but you can visit the palace gardens!

Embassies and ministries

You can also find all foreign embassies, the government ministries, the Supreme Court and the Council of State in the Hague. In addition The Hague is the seat of many international organizations like the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. You will see many Dutch and international diplomats in the city, a lot of them escorted by policemen.

Houses of Parliament

One of the most popular sights in The Hague are De Binnenhof (the Inner Court) and the medieval Ridderzaal (the Knights hall), which contains the Houses of Parliament and government offices. One of the towers of De Binnenhof is the working office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. De Ridderzaal is used for the yearly state opening of the parliament and holds the throne of the Queen of the Netherlands. You can visit De Binnenhof and De Ridderzaal and join one of the tours.

Other sights in the Hague

Other interesting places in The Hague include the Mauritshuis with many paintings from Dutch masters, de Gevangenpoort (Prison Gate) with mediaeval dungeons and torture chambers, Het Plein (the square) with its terraces, the famous historical Hotel des Indes, the Omniversum 360° Imax theatre and the Queen’s residential palace Huis ten Bosch.

Attractions in the Hague

When you’re looking for some family fun you can visit theme park Duinrell or Madurodam miniature city. In Duinrell you will find many attractions like a small rollercoaster, a cableway, the Splash water attraction and a fast luge track. One of the best attractions in Duinrell is the Tikibad swimming pool with many great slides. In Madurodam you can see many Dutch buildings and landmarks that can be found at various locations in the Netherlands. They are built on a scale of 1:25 and you can discover everything that the Netherlands has to offer in this miniature city!

Scheveningen

On a hot day you can relax at Scheveningen beach, which is the most popular beach in the Benelux. Lots of people go here to enjoy the beach and sea or to have a drink or snack at one of the many terraces. You could stroll along the nice boulevard with its many shops and restaurants or visit the pier.
When you plan your visit to The Hague in September you can see the Queen in her golden carriage on a ride from her palace to the Binnenhof for her annual speech from the throne. This event takes place every third Tuesday of September.