So modern, so vivid!

The featured image explains the entire concept of this city: historical statues vs. modern buildings and institutions vs. hispterish restaurants. But I adore it! Especially because of the restaurants and the atmosphere created there. Plus, it is the city with the sea – enough said. 🙂

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On the map of Europe it is placed on the western coast of the Netherlands and as such it is the capital of the province of South Holland.

Officially, The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands, which is constitutionally Amsterdam.

Around 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Europol (European Police)… which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations, along with New York, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, and Nairobi.

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International Criminal Court
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Binnenhof – the government’s buildings

I never manage  to properly take a photo when entering the city from the highway. Especially during the night when the lights of Deloitte (UK multinational business company) building are on.

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Entrance to the city

The story of  The Hague starts in 13th century  when the counts of Holland used the city as their administrative center and residence when in Holland. As the first fortress was made of wood, the place was literally called des Graven hage  (eng. the Count’s Wood). So today’s inner city has some small streets in the town centre that may be dated from the late Middle Ages and several spacious streets boasting large and luxurious 18th-century residences built for diplomats and affluent Dutch families.

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Old City Hall, 16th century.

Very impressive is the large Protestant church dating from the 17th century called Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk (St Jacob’s Church) built in what was then a modern style.

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Protestant’s St Jacob’s church. 17th century.

Absolute must is Mauritshuis museum – home to The Girl with the Pearl Earring, painted by Vermeer. There is a movie about this story too.

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Mauirtshuis – The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Vermeer

Het Plein is a town square in the old city centre – a good place to eat and drink. With festive lights, outdoor seating, and heaters in the winter, this place is perfect for a gezellig evening (there’s no English translation for this Dutch word, but in this context it roughly means the cozy, warm feeling you get from being with good friends).

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Het Plein – gazellig
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The best part of The Hague is the Scheveningen beach – a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse.

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pier-sunset

Eating at Scheveningen is a specal feeling. I am impressed by the atmosphere at the seaside with many fires lighted up creating the special romantic moments.

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The most beautiful building amongst the hotels alongside the beach is The Kurhaus. It was built in 19 century annd has a great passage through to get to the seaside open to the public. This year (my 4th visit to The Hague)  I had a privilege to stay in this beautiful hotel 🙂

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Kurhaus, 19th century
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Inside the Kurhaus – passage to Scheveningen

The Hague (or Den Haag in Dutch) is maybe the most important city in The Netherlands, as it’s both the seat of the Dutch government and residence of the royal family. Therefore, The Hague has a stately reputation due to the dozens of embassies, palaces, government buildings, wide boulevards and parks. Most of the time, this is the reason why I knock in this city. And I stay a bit longer for entertainment. It’s a must.

Because The Hague is also home to refined museums, cutting edge restaurants and cafés, excellent shopping and… the beach. I like to find all must-sees and hidden gems in this city guide The Hague, every time I visit.

This time, I did not leave the Scheveningen to the very end as it is in the proximity of the diplomatic neighbourhood. I mean, before there was Amsterdam, there was The Hague. The government and the royals of The Netherlands resided there, so it seemed only natural to make The Hague the capital. But under the rule of Louis Bonaparte, the government was moved to Amsterdam and that’s how the city became capital. When the French were ousted in 1814 the Dutch government went back to The Hague, but the title of capital remained with Amsterdam.

The later 20th-century Den Haag became very internationally orientated, as the city became the home of several international legal entities like the UN’s International Court of Justice, making The Hague a popular place for ex-pats. But mostly I find The Hague the place where you admire the architecture, do some shopping and chill out at the beach at night.

Most people associate canals in the Netherlands with Amsterdam, but many other cities like The Hague, Delft, and Utrecht have them, too. In The Hague, many of the canals were filled in beginning as far back as the 17th century to help with sanitation concerns, but they have since been restored.

Now, it’s possible to walk along the canals, take a canal cruise, or even rent your own boat to enjoy the waterways at your desired speed. There is always something new in this city.

Posted on 44 By RED RIDING HOOD Castle Posted in Castle, food and drink, Travel

RED RIDING HOOD

Weltschemerzer mit Sehnsucht. Travel is my catharsis.

44 Comments »

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  4. I have a special relationship with the Hague as my grandpa worked as a diplomatic there. We went quite a few times to Scheveningen and we have so many good family memories from there.

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  5. For some reason all these Dutch cities look so similar! I have never been to The Hague, though in a couple of weeks I will be visiting Eindhoven and maybe Rotterdam… Thank you for sharing this, I will keep it with me for when I travel there next time!

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