10 Reasons to Visit The Hague, Netherlands

Several music festivals take place in the Hague every year. This schedule includes two avant-garde, electronically-orientated festivals called Rewire and TodaysArt that always book an impressive number of cutting-edge artists, producers and bands.

The Hague’s central shopping district gravitates around the city’s Bijenkorf department store, which is housed within a particularly beautiful Amsterdamse School building. Many other international brand stores are located within walking distance from this magnificent construction including Marks & Spencers, River Island and Monki.

During sunny spells legions of Dutch people flock to the Hague’s coastal districts such as Scheveningen or Kijkduin. These seaside resorts are staples of Dutch summertime and feature many awesome attractions including a gigantic leisure pier, golden sands and traditional fish vendors.

Mauritshuis in the Hague has housed the Royal Cabinet of Paintings since 1822 and currently displays many important paintings from the 17th century including Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The building itself is an absolute masterpiece and was built by the famed architect Jacob van Campen, who also designed Amsterdam’s Royal Palace.

This charming miniature theme park features hundreds of scale models that perfectly replicate many famous Dutch landmarks and cities. The park operates under as a non-profit organisation and therefore donates its proceeds to charity.

M.C. Escher was among the most celebrated and influential designers from the last century and created hundreds of unique artworks that were inspired by mathematical concepts like infinity, impossible objects and tessellation. Many of his famous woodcuts, illustrations, and lithographs are on display in the Hague at the Escher Museum.

The Binnenhof is the oldest surviving House of Parliament in the world and has acted as the political centre of the Netherlands for over 400 years. Many parts of the complex were built long before parliament was established in the Netherlands and date back to the late medieval period.

Several important legal organisations reside inside The Hague’s Peace Palace and the building contains the International Court of Justice. It is possible to take guided tours through the palace during specific weekends throughout the year.

The Hague’s Gemeentemusuem was designed by celebrated modernist architect H.P. Berlage whose work also includes Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. This wonderful museum mainly collects modern artworks and has the largest Mondriaan collection in the world.

The Hague’s principle outdoor market takes place four times a week and regularly attracts around 35,000 people over the course of one day. This charming, multicultural market features over 500 stalls that sell a massive range of food, clothing and flowers.