The Hague

Binnenhof & Hofvijver

The Binnenhof (the medieval castle complex and courtyard at the heart of The Hague; the seat of the Dutch parliament since 1446; free to walk the outer courtyard when parliament is not in session; the Ridderzaal — the Hall of Knights — where King Willem-Alexander delivers the annual Prinsjesdag (Budget Day) speech in September is accessible via guided tour €15) and the Hofvijver (the rectangular palace pond in front of the Binnenhof; the most famous reflection in Dutch political architecture; the Mauritshuis stands on the east side of the pond) together form the political and symbolic heart of the Netherlands. The view from the Hofvijver of the Binnenhof towers reflected in the still water at dawn is the most celebrated photograph in The Hague.

💡 The Binnenhof (free exterior; €10 guided tour; the 13th-century parliamentary complex; the oldest parliament building in continuous use in the world) is best photographed reflected in the Hofvijver pond from the south side at sunrise. The inner courtyard (Ridderzaal; free to enter the courtyard outside parliamentary sessions) is the finest medieval courtyard in the Netherlands.

Mauritshuis Museum

The Mauritshuis (Plein 29; €17.50; open daily Tue–Sun 10am–5pm, Mon 1pm–5pm; book at mauritshuis.nl; the 17th-century Baroque palace on the Hofvijver) is one of the finest small art museums in the world: 800 Dutch and Flemish Golden Age paintings in 16 rooms, including Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring (Room 15; the most visited painting in the Netherlands after Rembrandt’s Night Watch; the painting is smaller than most visitors expect: 44.5 × 39 cm), Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632; Room 8; the masterpiece of Dutch group portrait painting), and Vermeer’s View of Delft (considered by many art historians the finest landscape painting in the Dutch Golden Age tradition). The Mauritshuis collection can be seen thoroughly in 2–3 hours.

💡 The Mauritshuis (€18; mauritshuis.nl; open daily 10am–6pm, Mon from 1pm) has the finest Golden Age collection in the Netherlands outside the Rijksmuseum: Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, and Fabritius’s The Goldfinch. All in one floor of a 17th-century palace. Book timed entry online.

Mauritshuis tickets →

Scheveningen Beach & Pier

Scheveningen (5km west; tram 9 from the city centre; 20 min; the largest beach resort in the Netherlands) has 11km of North Sea beach, the longest pier in the Netherlands (the Pier Scheveningen; 382m into the North Sea; €3 entry; the bungee jump from the end is €50), the Kurhaus hotel (1885; the most celebrated seafront building in the Netherlands; the ballroom hosts major concerts), and the Scheveningen Harbour (the active North Sea fishing port; the Havenrestaurant area has the freshest North Sea fish — herring, sole, plaice, cod — from the daily catch). Scheveningen Beach in summer (June–August) is one of the most populous beaches in Western Europe: 9 million visitors per year.

💡 Scheveningen (free; 4km north of the city centre by tram 9; the main North Sea beach resort; 3km of sandy beach) is best in July–August when the water reaches 18–20°C. The Scheveningen Pier (free to walk; 400m into the North Sea) and the Palace Promenade (free) are the two best free activities.

Peace Palace (Vredespaleis)

The Vredespaleis (Carnegieplein 2; visitor centre €9.50; open Tue–Sun; guided tours of the building available on selected dates, book at vredespaleis.nl; the exterior and garden always free to view) is the home of the International Court of Justice (the principal judicial organ of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Hague Academy of International Law. Built 1907–1913 with funding from Andrew Carnegie (the US steel magnate; the building cost $1.5 million; each participating nation donated furnishings — the Japanese chrysanthemum-patterned window, the Swiss clock, the Dutch tapestries), it is simultaneously a significant piece of neo-Gothic architecture and the symbolic home of international law.

💡 The Peace Palace (Carnegieplein 2; guided tours €12.50; book at vredespaleis.nl; minimum 1 day ahead; exterior free to view and photograph) houses the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The tours cover the state rooms and the history of the institution. The gate is the most-photographed free sight in The Hague.

Peace Palace tours →