The Hague City: Where History Meets Modernity
The Hague City: Where History Meets Modernity
Table of Contents
A map of Belgium
Informations
The Hague is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the capital of the province of South Holland. The Hague is the country’s administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, The Hague has been described as the country’s de facto capital.
Temperature: The high season lasts from mid-April to mid-October. The tourist season reaches its peak in July and August.
Language: The official languages are Dutch, German and French.
Currency: Euro
Food Prices: Meal in a cheap restaurant=15 EUR, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=65 EUR
You can find more information about the visa here.
Things to do
Mauritshuis
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.
Madurodam
Madurodam is a miniature park and tourist attraction in the Scheveningen district of The Hague in the Netherlands. It is home to a range of 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks, historical cities and large developments. The park was opened in 1952 and has since been visited by tens of millions of visitors. The entirety of net proceeds from the park go towards various charities in the Netherlands.
Art Museum The Hague
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 has a collection of around 165,000 works, over many different forms of art. In particular, the Kunstmuseum is renowned for its large Mondrian collection, the largest in the world. Mondrian’s last work, Victory Boogie-Woogie, is on display at the museum.
Louwman Museum
The Louwman Museum is a museum for historic cars, coaches, and motorcycles in The Hague, Netherlands. It is situated on the Leidsestraatweg near the A44 highway. The museum’s former names are “Nationaal Automobiel Museum” and “Louwman Collection”.
De Pier
The Pier is the most famous icon on the Dutch coast. Enjoy the great sea view and old-fashioned ‘get a breath of fresh air’. The attraction offers an extensive range of street food, restaurants, bars, terraces, covered shops and exclusive hotel suites with a panoramic view of the North Sea. You will experience a unique experience in the spectacular attractions such as the Ferris wheel, Bungy Jump Holland and the Zipline. There are regular festivals, events, markets, kids activities and live performances. The Pier is accessible free of charge every day from 10 AM.
Escher in The 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.
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver lake. 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.
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, the Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), The Hague Academy of International Law and the Peace Palace Library.
Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace is one of the four official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, the palace has served as Queen Beatrix’s office since 1984.
The Hague Market
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. Belgium offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Belgium’s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
We managed to find the best three companies that offer hotels, holiday homes and transportation. These are: Booking.com, Trip.com and Vrbo. We have already tested these companies and we warmly recommend them. As a result this will just bring you good deals for your next vacation in Belgium.
Hotels we recommend in Hague
What to eat
- Frites/frietjes- You’ll need at least a couple of servings of frites on any trip to Belgium.
- Mussels of Mosselen- found in the North Sea are more fleshy than those in France
- The Martino is a Belgian sandwich consisting of filet Americaine–that is, raw minced beef mixed with seasonings, mayonnaise, and egg yolk
- Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin
- Croquettes aux crevettes grises
- Waterzooi – It is a stew or soup made with chicken or fish, vegetables, cream, and egg.
- Meatballs are a Belgian favorite, on both sides of the language divide, and are usually a mixture of beef and pork.
- Flemish stew – stew meat
- Grey shrimp croquettes
- Eel in the green is exactly what it sounds like an eel is prepared in a highly green sauce that is colored that way because of the many green herbs that go into it, such as parsley, watercress, and basil.
- sausage and mashed potatoes
- Tomates aux Crevettes Grises
- Belgian waffles
- Speculaas- Gingerbread
- cannibale is served on slices of sweet white toast called pain de mie and cut into triangles.
- Shortcrust Biscuits
- Belgian Chocolates
- Sirop de Liege
Restaurants
- Just a few streets from the Grote Markt and the Grote Kerk in the centre of The Hague, you can find the atmospheric Restaurant ñ. This Spanish-themed hidden gem in The Hague serves some amazing food for some very good prices.
- Located in the trendy and warm district of Zeeheldenkwartier, you’ll find this pearl of an Italian restaurant — Vincenzo’s. First of all: they use cognac to flambee tagliatelle with truffle in a block of giant parmesan cheese. That’s really all you need to know.
- Botanica: for the love of veggies
- STAN: late-night dinner and drinks
- Lunch, dinner, cocktails, or loads of art — Gallery 61 in the centre of The Hague has a lot to offer, and there are surprises everywhere.
- Giuliano’s is one of the best Italian restaurants in The Netherlands, thanks to the large Italian population in The Hague. It is an intimate 2-level restaurant, centrally located downtown, with a rustic and Tuscan design and vibe.
- Dekxels is one of the coolest and most unique restaurants in The Hague, located downtown near several landmarks and attractions in the city. It features European and Asian fusion dishes, with an adventurous menu full of flavor and expertise.
- The house restaurant within Hotel Des Indes is known for being one of the grandest and over-the-top restaurants in The Netherlands. It’s a popular spot for diplomats and influential figures, making it a go-to place for a meal surrounded by luxury, specialty, and fanciness.
Saving Tips
- In popular parts of the country, restaurants can be particularly expensive on weekends and in the evenings
- This country has so many breweries (the most per capita in the world!) that beer is the cheapest form of alcohol
- If you’re going to eat out, stick to things like sandwiches, kebabs, and frites. These meals cost between 5-7 EUR
- Every Thursday is “vegetarian day” in plant-based paradise Ghent
- Budget bus companies like Flixbus can take you across the country for cheap
- the museum of military history and touring the European Parliament are open to the public at no cost.
- Get a city tourist card
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Shopping
Exclusive local shops can be found in Hofkwartier, Noordeinde and on Denneweg. The Foodhallen Den Haag in shopping mall Haagse Bluf is also a true Hague experience with twelve food stands and two bars. Also don’t forget to take a walk through the Passage, a covered gallery with a wide variety of shops. The Hague city centre contains so many shops, go to Spui-,Vene-,Vlaming-, Wagenstraat and Grote Markstraat for the well-known formulas and especially dive into side streets if you are looking for fun concept stores.
The main shopping areas in The Hague can be found in the heart of the city. The Grote Marktstraat has many flagship stores for bigger brands, as well as several department stores. Near the Royal Palace, find haute couture, boutique, and vintage stores around Plaats, the oldest square in the city, as well as on the nearby Hoogstraat, Molenstraat, Noordeinde, and Denneweg streets. Across these main shopping centres, there’s something for every age and price range. Plus, plenty of cafes and restaurants to fuel up in between shopping. Just northeast of this area, the Zeeheldenkwartier has more local shops, alongside a selection of trendy cafes and markets.
The hip Zeeheldenkwartier, located on the edge of the city centre of The Hague, is a city quarter where you will find many authentic local shops, sympathetic restaurants, trendy coffee shops, and beautiful Jugendstil buildings. No wonder, then, that the Zeeheldenkwartier is hugely popular, even with locals. There are also plenty of activities throughout the year, such as creative lifestyle markets and the Zeeheldenfestival.
Getting Around
Travelling around Belgium is almost always easy: it’s a small country, and there’s an extremely well-organized – and reasonably priced – public transport system in which an extensive train network is supplemented by (and tied in with) a plethora of local bus services.
Tram and metro are the ideal means to get around in the city. They encounter little or no hindrance from other forms of traffic and bring you safely and quickly to numerous destinations in the city. You can travel by tram in the cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi.
The bus is a convenient means of travel and the network covers a wide area not served by other forms of public transport. The bus routes in Belgium are handled by 3 different companies.
The car-free city center of Ghent is tailor-made for pedestrians and cyclists. With bus and tram, you can reach any part of the city quickly and easily (even on weekend evenings) and taxis are also readily available. Of course, you can also rent a car to explore the surroundings.
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Getting Here
Ghent does not have its own airport but can be easily reached from Belgium’s two main airports: Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Brussels Airport (Zaventem) is 14 km east of Brussels and has flights to hundreds of international destinations. Brussels South Airport is in Charleroi, 46 km from Brussels, with flights to 26 European destinations.
Flying is the easiest and most time-efficient way to travel to Belgium. The most popular option is to fly to the capital city, Brussels which has good rail and bus links with the rest of the country. Brussels Airport (Zaventem) is the country’s main international airport with flights to over 220 European and international destinations. Another option is to fly into Brussels South Airport in Charleroi – roughly 50 kilometres outside of Brussels – which connects Belgium with 190 destinations.
UK travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding how to get to Belgium. There are flights to Brussels from London and a string of regional airports; Eurostar trains direct from London to Brussels; ferries from Rosyth and Hull to Zeebrugge, near Bruges, and from Ramsgate to Ostend; Eurotunnel services from Folkestone to Calais, a short drive from the Belgian coast; and frequent international buses from London to Brussels and Antwerp. Buses are usually the least expensive means of transportation, but the train is faster and often not that much more expensive, and there are all sorts of great deals on flights too.
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