Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in The Hague (Netherlands). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Escher in Het Paleis, and Mauritshuis. Also, be sure to include Beelden aan Zee in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in The Hague (Zuid-Holland).
Table of Contents
Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Also known as: Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
Museum in the Hague, Netherlands. The Kunstmuseum Den Haag is an art museum in The Hague in the Netherlands, founded in 1866 as the 'Museum voor Moderne Kunst'. Later, until 1998, it was known as 'Haags Gemeentemuseum', and until the end of September 2019 as 'Gemeentemuseum Den Haag'. It is renowned for its large Mondrian collection, the largest in the world. His last work, Victory Boogie-Woogie, is on display here.
The museum building was constructed between 1931–1935, designed by the Dutch architect H.P. Berlage.
The KM21 (museum for contemporary art) and Fotomuseum Den Haag (The Hague museum for photography) are part of the Kunstmuseum, though not housed in the same building and with a separate entrance fee.[1]
Address: Stadhouderslaan 41, 2517 HV Den Haag
Escher in Het Paleis
Displays of graphic art in former palace. Escher in Het Paleis is a museum in The Hague, Netherlands, featuring the works of the Dutch graphical artist M. C. Escher. It is housed in the Lange Voorhout Palace since November 2002.
In 2015 it was revealed that many of the prints on display at the museum were replicas, scanned from original prints and printed onto the same type of paper used by Escher, rather than original Escher prints as they had been labeled.[2]
Address: Lange Voorhout 74, 2514 EH Den Haag (Centrum)
Mauritshuis
Museum in the Hague, Netherlands. The Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The museum houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings which consists of 854 objects, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings. The collection contains works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others. Originally, the 17th century building was the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau. It is now the property of the government of the Netherlands and is listed in the top 100 Dutch heritage sites.[3]
Address: Plein 29, 2511 CS Den Haag (Centrum)
Beelden aan Zee
Museum devoted to contemporary sculpture. Beelden aan Zee museum in the Scheveningen district of The Hague, founded in 1994 by the sculpture collectors Theo and Lida Scholten, is the only Dutch museum which specializes in exhibiting sculpture.
The museum shows contemporary international and national sculpture. The curators organize new exhibitions three or more times per year in its large circular main space. Exhibitions are created on themes such as the 2010 exhibitions, "Unwanted Land" exhibition by 6 contemporary artists or the "Fathers and Sons" show, or exhibitions around a particular artist. The museum features works by Karel Appel, Wim Quist, Man Ray, and Fritz Koenig. The mission of the museum is to use a mix of forms and materials in the works express "the human experience."
Since 2004, the museum building also houses the Sculptuur Instituut, a research institute on contemporary sculpture. The institute library is accessible during museum opening hours.[4]
Address: Strandweg 18, 2586 JK Den Haag (Scheveningen)
Galerij Prins Willem V
Art gallery in the Hague, Netherlands. The Prince William V Gallery is an art gallery on the Buitenhof in The Hague that currently shares an entrance with the Gevangenpoort museum. It is a recreation of the original gallery Galerij Prins Willem V, once founded there by William V, Prince of Orange in 1774. The displayed paintings are part of the collection of the Mauritshuis. Amongst the paintings on display are works by Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Gerard van Honthorst.[5]
Address: Buitenhof 33, 2513 AH Den Haag (Centrum)
Paleis Noordeinde
Palatial workplace of the Dutch king. Noordeinde Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, it has been used as the official workplace of King Willem-Alexander since 2013.[6]
Address: The Hague, Noordeinde 64
Peace Palace
Also known as: Vredespaleis
Venerable and ornate center of justice. The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, the Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law and the Peace Palace Library.
The Palace officially opened on 28 August 1913; it was originally built to provide a home for the PCA, a court created to end war by the Hague Convention of 1899. Andrew Dickson White, whose efforts were instrumental in creating the court, secured from Scottish-American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie US$1.5 million to build the Peace Palace. The European Heritage Label was awarded to the Peace Palace on 8 April 2014.[7]
Address: Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague
Malieveld
Event venue in the Hague, Netherlands. Malieveld is a large grass field in the city center of The Hague, Netherlands, located opposite the central train station. The field is widely known in the Netherlands for being the location of many large-scale demonstrations. It is also used for festivals, funfairs, concerts and other big events.[8]
Pulchri Studio
Art institute in the Hague, Netherlands. Pulchri Studio is a Dutch art society, art institution and art studio based in The Hague, Netherlands.
This institute began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg. Since 1893 the club has its residence in the villa at Lange Voorhout in The Hague. Membership is made up of painters, sculptors, photographers and art lovers, with members selected by a committee.
An artist's membership allows themt to exhibit their own works in the galleries of the Company. Guests have to be invited by members.[9]
Address: Lange Voorhout 15, 2514 EA Den Haag (Centrum)
Hofwijck
Museum in Voorburg, Netherlands. Hofwijck is a mansion built for 17th-century politician Constantijn Huygens. It is located in Voorburg on the Vliet canal from The Hague to Leiden. Formal address of the cultural heritage is 2 Westeinde, Voorburg, the Netherlands, but its location today is better known as the Voorburg railway station.[10]
Address: Westeinde 2A, 2275 AD Voorburg (Voorburg West)
Binnenhof
Tours of the waterside Dutch parliament. The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver. It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of General Affairs and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Built primarily in the 13th century, the Gothic castle originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland and became the political centre of the Dutch Republic in 1584. It is counted among the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites. The Binnenhof is among the oldest Parliament buildings in the world still in use.[11]
Kneuterdijk Palace
Also known as: Paleis Kneuterdijk
Palace in the Hague, Netherlands. Kneuterdijk Palace is a former royal palace of the Netherlands located in The Hague, nowadays the seat of the Council of State. Built in 1716 in the Louis XIV style by architect Daniel Marot, it was commissioned by Count Johan Hendrik of Wassenaer-Obdam, member of the House of Wassenaer. The palace served as a residence for King William II of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Anna Paulowna in the first half of the 19th century, when he was still the crown prince. William II added several buildings designed in the English Tudor style, of which only the so-called “Gothic Hall” has survived. The hall was designed after the great dining hall of Christ Church, Oxford, of which William II was an alumnus.
Their grandson Crown Prince William used the palace from 1858 till his death in 1879. In the 1930s the place was occasionally used by Princess Juliana. After World War II Dutch war criminals were tried in the former ballroom, some of whom were sentenced to death. Then the Ministry of Finance used the building for many years. Since restoration work was completed in 2001 the palace has been in use by the Netherlands' Council of State (Raad van State).[12]
Address: The Hague, Kneuterdijk 20–22
Hofvijver
Pond in the Netherlands. The Hofvijver is a lake in the centre of The Hague, Netherlands. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg, in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg. In the middle there is a small island with plants and trees which has no name, it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg".[13]
Address: Korte Vijverberg, The Hague (Centrum)
Kurhaus
Hotel in the Hague, Netherlands. The Kurhaus of Scheveningen, The Hague in the Netherlands is a hotel which has been called the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus The Hague since October 2014. It is located in the main seaside resort area, near the beach.[14]
Address: Gevers Deynootplein 30, 2586 CK Den Haag (Scheveningen)
Oud Eik en Duinen
Cemetery in the Hague, Netherlands. Oud Eik en Duinen is a cemetery in The Hague, the Netherlands, formerly called Eik en Duinen and also nicknamed "the Dutch Père-Lachaise". The cemetery is built around a chapel constructed around 1247 by William II of Holland in honor of his father, Floris IV, Count of Holland. This chapel was partially demolished in 1581, and in the 17th century the area was again used as a cemetery. When Eik en Duinen was full, a new cemetery, Nieuw Eykenduynen, was constructed in 1891 across the road, and since then the old cemetery is known as "Old" Eik en Duinen.[15]
Museum Bredius
Museum devoted to European art. Museum Bredius is a museum named after Abraham Bredius on the Lange Vijverberg in The Hague. It is remarkable for its collection of etchings and paintings, but is most attractive to visitors for its accurate restoration of the 18th-century Herenhuis interior with period furnishings.[16]
Address: Lange Vijverberg 14, 2513 AC Den Haag (Centrum)
Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk
Also known as: Grote Kerk
Historic church with an iconic tower. The Great Church or St. James' Church is a landmark Protestant church in The Hague, Netherlands. The building is located on the Torenstraat, named for its high tower. Together with the Binnenhof, it is one of the oldest buildings in The Hague. Members of the House of Orange-Nassau have been baptised and married there. The latest are Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his daughter Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange.[17]
Address: Rond de Grote Kerk 12, 2513 AM Den Haag (Centrum)
Scheveningen Lighthouse
Also known as: Vuurtoren van Scheveningen
Lighthouse in the Hague, Netherlands. De Scheveningen Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Scheveningen, Netherlands. It was designed by Quirinus Harder and activated finished in 1875.[18]
Koninklijke Schouwburg
Theater. The Koninklijke Schouwburg is a theater in the city center of The Hague. The theater was built in 1766 and has been in use as theater since 1804. From 2017 it is one of the theaters in use by the national theater company Het Nationale Theater, but also other companies perform in the Schouwburg.
The main room of the Schouwburg is relatively small for current standards, and can seat 680 people in total with the main room and three balconies. The stage has a 1929 antique revolving stage that is still functional but no longer in use. It is considered one of the most prestigious theaters in the country.[19]
Address: 3 Korte Voorhout, The Hague (Centrum)
Panorama Mesdag
Museum of Mesdag's 360-degree artwork. Panorama Mesdag is a panorama by Hendrik Willem Mesdag. Housed in a purpose-built museum in The Hague, the panorama is a cylindrical painting more than 14 metres high and about 40 metres in diameter. From an observation gallery in the centre of the room the cylindrical perspective creates the illusion that the viewer is on a high sand dune overlooking the sea, beaches and village of Scheveningen in the late 19th century. A foreground of fake terrain around the viewing gallery hides the base of the painting and makes the illusion more convincing.[20]
Address: Zeestraat 65, 2518 AA Den Haag
Huis ten Bosch
Royal palace, stables and gardens. Huis ten Bosch is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.
Huis ten Bosch was the former home of Queen Beatrix from 1981 to 2014, until her abdication; King Willem-Alexander and his family moved in on 13 January 2019. A replica of the palace was built in Sasebo, Japan, in a theme park bearing the same name.[21]
Huys Clingendael
Also known as: Landgoed Clingendael
Park in Wassenaar, Netherlands. Clingendael is the name of a 17th-century manor house and surrounding parkland just outside The Hague, Netherlands, in the municipality of Wassenaar. Since 1982, it houses the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.[22]
Address: Clingendael 7, The Hague
De Mesdag Collectie
Museum in the Hague, Netherlands. The Mesdag Collection is an art museum in The Hague, Netherlands.
The museum is housed next to the former house of the Dutch painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag and shows the art Mesdag and his wife Sina van Houten collected from 1866 to 1903. It features work of the painters of the Hague School like Willem Roelofs and Anton Mauve and work of the French Barbizon School (Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Théodore Rousseau, Jean-François Millet, Charles-François Daubigny and Eugène Delacroix and paintings of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. There is also a large collection of Japanese art and Japanese craftwork (pottery) on show. This all is shown in a typical 19th-century setting.
The museum was closed for renovation until Spring 2011. On 14 May 2011 it was re-opened and renamed from "Museum Mesdag" to "The Mesdag Collection".
The Panorama Mesdag is housed in different premises within easy walking distance from The Mesdag Collection.[23]
Address: Laan van Meerdervoort 7F, 2517 AB Den Haag
Indies Monument
Also known as: Indisch Monument
Historical landmark in the Hague, Netherlands. The Indies Monument is a memorial in The Hague in memory of all Dutch citizens and soldiers killed during World War II as a result of the Japanese occupation. It is dedicated to all who died in battle, in prison camps or during forced labor. As stated in the mission statement of the 15 August 1945 Commemoration Foundation, it is also:
A place where you can pass on to your children the part of your childhood spent in the Dutch East Indies
The monument is unique, due to the fact that earth from the seven war cemeteries in Indonesia has been placed in an urn mounted on a small column at the front of the monument. In fall 2008 a second urn, with earth from the Galala Tantui war cemetery on Ambon Island, was placed behind the column.
Before the commemoration ceremony each year, the Dutch ambassador to Indonesia lays a wreath at the Menteng Pulo war cemetery on Java in cooperation with the Foundation. Once every five years (in 2010 and 2015), in coordination with the Dutch embassies and the Dutch War Graves Foundation, wreaths are also laid at all other war cemeteries in Indonesia, Australia and Southeast Asia where Dutch victims of war are buried. In addition to this monument a commemoration site in Bronbeek, Arnhem was established in 2010.[24]
The Hague City Hall
Also known as: Stadhuis van Den Haag
Building in the Hague, Netherlands. The Hague City Hall is the city hall of The Hague, Netherlands.[25]
Address: Spui 70, 2511 BT Den Haag (Centrum)
Kloosterkerk
Christian church in the Hague, Netherlands. The Kloosterkerk is a church on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, Netherlands. The church and its accompanying monastery were first built in 1397. The church is known today as the church where Beatrix of the Netherlands occasionally attended services.[26]
Address: Lange Voorhout 4, 2514 ED Den Haag (Centrum)
Familiepark Drievliet
Amusement park, Theme park
Address: Laan van 's-Gravenmade 81, 2495 BD Den Haag (Hoornwijk)
Museon
Museum in the Hague, Netherlands. Museon is a museum for science and culture in The Hague, Netherlands. It has collections in the domains of geology, biology, archaeology, history, science and ethnology.[27]
Address: Stadhouderslaan 37, 2517 HV Den Haag
Plein
Het Plein is a town square in the old city centre of The Hague in the Netherlands.
It is located adjacent to the Binnenhof, the meeting place of the States General of the Netherlands; the entrance to the House of Representatives can be found on Plein 2. The Mauritshuis art museum is located on Plein 29.
Het Plein was originally a garden, forming a part of the Binnenhof castle, residence of the Counts of Holland. It was used to grow vegetables for the court. The garden was surrounded by a ring of canals and intersected by ditches. As a town square, Het Plein was constructed in 1632 and was inspired by the Place des Vosges in Paris.
A statue of William the Silent, made by Dutch sculptor Lodewyk Royer, was installed in the centre of the square in 1848.[28]
Address: Plein 23, The Hague (Centrum)
Old City Hall
Also known as: Oude stadhuis
Historical landmark in the Hague, Netherlands. The Old City Hall in The Hague is a Renaissance style building on the Groenmarkt near the Grote Kerk. It is the former seat of the city's government, and remains a place where residents hold civic wedding ceremonies, and where the Royal family register their family births. Other families do this at the current city hall located in the large white building on the Kalvermarkt, near the Public library.[29]
Address: Dagelijkse Groenmarkt 1, The Hague (Centrum)
GEM
KM21 is a museum for contemporary visual art in The Hague in the Netherlands. The museum was established in 2002 as part of the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In KM21 work by artists from The Hague, the Netherlands and international contemporaries can be admired at the same time.
A wide diversity of disciplines is on show: installations, video installations, painting and sculpture, multimedia, performance, film, photography, drawing, digital art, design, etc. In addition to exhibitions, activities such as lectures, discussions, performances, film screenings and book presentations also take place. The museum is located beside the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and also houses the Fotomuseum Den Haag (The Hague Museum of Photography).[30]
Address: 43 Stadhouderslaan, The Hague
Gevangenpoort
Art gallery in the Hague, Netherlands. The Gevangenpoort is a former gate and medieval prison on the Buitenhof in The Hague, Netherlands. It is situated next to the 18th-century art gallery founded by William V, Prince of Orange in 1774 known as the Prince William V Gallery.[31]
Address: Buitenhof 33, The Hague (Centrum)
Leidschendam
Town in the Netherlands. Leidschendam is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland of the Netherlands. Along with Voorburg and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg.[32]
Haagse Bos
Haagse Bos is a rectangular neighbourhood and forest in the Haagse Hout district of The Hague, Netherlands, reaching from the old city centre in the south-west to the border of Wassenaar in the north-east. It is also one of the oldest remaining forests of the country. During World War II, the park was used by the Germans for launching V-1 and V-2 rockets.[33]
Het Strijkijzer
Skyscraper in the Hague, Netherlands. Het Strijkijzer is a residential and office skyscraper in The Hague, Netherlands. It is 132 metres with 42 floors, making it the city's third tallest building. In 2007 the building was awarded the Hague New City Prize and the international Emporis Skyscraper Award, with Emporis citing "its elegant reinterpretation of classic high-rise architecture, its contextual approach to a limited site, and its efficient program for accommodating new entrants to the housing market". Inspired by the Flatiron Building in New York City, its name is the Dutch word for an iron.
The building contains 300 studio flats for students and first-time property owners, and 51 luxury flats, accessible by a separate lift. There are also furnished flats for rental on a weekly or monthly basis. Below is space for catering, a laundromat, ironing facilities and office space. Since 2011, there is a panoramic terrace on the 42nd floor, which is accessible from the ground floor via a dedicated lift. From the terrace, one can see the ships on the North Sea.[34]
Address: Rijswijkseplein 786, 2516 LX Den Haag (Stationsbuurt)