Den Haag

Den Haag is an international city, the seat of government, and royalty. The city played a role in the story of how The Netherlands came to be, a part which was touched on in the recent movie, Michiel de Ruyter. If you go see the movie and you’re interested in the history of those days, your trip to Den Haag must include the Gevangenpoort where the brothers deWitt met their end in 1672. The movie will be coming out in English in North America entitled Admiral.

The King was receiving guests whilst I walked past and the front of the palace was roped off and guarded. I could catch only a glimpse of the brass band playing behind the gate. Until the guests entered, nobody would be allowed past. An hour later, I passed by again and saw two horsedrawn carriages from the palace approach accompanied by police escorts. They came right past me and I could admire the ornate carriages and wonder who could be inside – perhaps it was a princess and her friends? Whoever they were, it was just another day in Den Haag, with police holding up traffic for horse-drawn carriages from the palace as people walked along nonchalantly or patiently waited to go on their way. I’d never seen anything like it and enjoyed the serendipity.

Besides its impressive city attractions, Den Haag is blessed with gorgeous nearby beaches, parks, walking and biking trails. It is a picnic-worthy city, even downtown at the palace gardens or alongside a canal – if you get that far – for you will be stopped in your tracks by Mauritshuis, home of the famed Girl with a Pearl Earring. Because Den Haag is like this, I find it a city that almost requires an itinerary. I decide before I go what kind of day I would like to have. There are ample choices of things to do indoors or out and a visit to the beach for dinner by the sea is almost a must-do in any kind of weather.

The attractions are many: Scheveningen, Madurodam, the Gevangenpoort, Panorama Mesdag, (nice to do before spending the rest of the day at the real beach!), the Duinrell attraction park, Het Binnenhof, a Chinatown, and the Hague Market on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It’s worth knowing the tram routes!

Den Haag is also an ideal centre to stay for exploring nearby cities like Gouda or Delft, especially if you’re planning a weekend away.

For tourist information and tips in English, try: http://denhaag.com/en