Travel Guide to The Hague, Netherlands

The Hague is the city of art and culture, splendid beaches and parks. It's nice to go to the Hague, Scheveningen and Cakedown at any season to laze in the sun, to walk across the beach or to visit a museum. Joyful pop-festivals, the night of the Queen, theater, music – there you can find everything for having a really interesting life. Go to the Hague and it will surely leave unforgettable impressions!

The new center of the Hague – Resident area.

If you go from the station in the direction of the new building of city administration, which is situated at Spuiplein square, you'll get to Resident area. To a certain extent it's a try to redress the wrong and return to the city center its solemnity. Resident area is a new district with offices and residential constructions, located in the very center of the city. The high-rise building with two pointed roofs, which can be seen almost from everywhere, is sometimes sarcastically called 'the bosom of the Hague'. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the high-rise construction was built on an old one, because it was decided not to demolish the old building. Nearby another construction work is organized: de Hoftoren, the highest edifice in the Hague is being built.

The building of city administration. In the end of the 20th century the government decided to start constructing the new building of city administration with a public library. Enormous snow-white edifice, projected by architect Richard Mayer, was soon renamed by the native into 'The Ice Palace' and professional in architecture call it 'The modern temple'. The building consists of the public library (it's the round part in the front) and two office buildings (there the most of Hague public services are located), between them you'll see the atrium. Primordially it was planned to make the atrium transparent, but security measures just brought it to nothing. The thing is that a lot of self-murderers try to finish their lives by jumping from the 11th floor, so it resulted in plenty of nets, revolving-doors and security-men.

Spuiplein Square. Not far from the building of city administration and the Concert Hall Anton Philips and the Dance Theatre you'll see Spuiplein Square. There takes place a wonderful fountain, if we can say so: the water gushes just from the ground in different directions, managed by computer. It's a great joy to look how embarrassed the passes-by are, when the fountain starts working. The best place to watch at these funny situations is from the side of the building of city administration. On one of the two underground tram stations, located under Spuiplein Square, the permanent historical placard stand is placed. This station belongs to the tram tunnel, which was a lot disputed about (it took 10 years to build it and it cost almost 250 million euro).

The New Church. On the other side if Spuiplein Square the New Church is situated. It's called new, because, actually, it was built only some centuries ago. In late Middle Ages the population of the Hague was constantly growing, that's why the Great church and St Jacob's church soon became too small. In the 17th century near the Spuiplein channel a new church was built in the traditional for that time style of the Dutch classism. The channel was closed, but the church still takes place in a marvelous garden, where the monument on Spinoza's grave. In summer in the shade of the church garden a cozy terrace is opened, nearby you'll find the Stout cafe.

Plein Square. Mauritshuis. In the 13th century Plein was a large, walled in garden, named Graven Kooltuin. It was located right behind the Knights' Hall. In the 16th century because of wars the garden got into the state of neglect, after what in 1600 prince Maurits ordered to turn it into a flower garden. In the 17th century this territory was sold and building works started there. It was planned to build up the whole area, but governor Frederic Hendric objected to this idea. He wanted to create something innovate, like in Paris: it was to be a quadrangular square, surrounded by houses. Though as the time passed the original buildings were changed for the new ones, the square still has its primordial shape. In the center of it you'll see the monument of William of Orange.

One of the largest edifices at Plein Square is the former hotel Logement van Amsterdam of the 18th century, where the representatives of Amsterdam used to stay. Since the 18th century the welfare of Amsterdam was growing and the bigger the number of the representatives was, the larger the hotel was to be.

In the 17th century Amsterdam bought the first house near the former Earl's garden, then another two houses and in the 18th century all they were united. The building was restored and nowadays it's the part of the de Tweede Kamer. At Plein Square you'll find a lot of cafes and restaurants, which open their terraces in summer. Out of all the residential houses located there, only Mauritshuis left. It was the classical city palace of Dutch acres in Brazil governor Maurits, built in the 17th century. It looks just like four centuries ago and nowadays it serves as the museum for the collections of such famous Dutch painters as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Potter. Mauritshuis is connected with Prince William V gallery, which was the first museum in the Netherlands.

Read more about The Hague:
Restaurants and cuisine in The Hague
Local traditions and lifestyle
'Must visit' places in The Hague
Nightlife and attractions in The Hague
Preparing for The Hague: Advices
The Hague photogallery