Parks and green areas for walking or bicycling.

• Park Clingendael. Former estate, best known for its 1910 Japanese garden, open from April till June.
• Westbroekpark, [19]. English-style landscape park from the 1920s. Renowned for its Rosarium or rose garden, with 20,000 different varieties of roses blooming from June until November. The park includes a restaurant with lovely views.
• Haagse Bos. Oldest forested area in the country. It extends right to the doorstep of Central Station, where it has a small fenced off area with deer. It also has a big birds nest built on top of a pole, with which the municipality has recently succeeded in attracting a pair of storks. This effort has been made since the stork is in the city's emblem. The Haagse Bos also contains the Queen's palace of Huis ten Bosch.
• Scheveningse Bosjes, Park centered around a small lake, the Waterpartij. Home to the Indiëmonument which commemorates Dutch victims of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. Next to Madurodam.
• Wassenaar. Wealthiest municipality in the country, just north of The Hague. Large wooded areas interspersed with huge estates. Also home to the Duinrell amusement park.
• The North Sea coast. Resort facilities at Scheveningen and at Kijkduin, to the south. The latter is considerably more peaceful.

Centre of town

• Plein. Walking south into town from Central, along Herengracht and Korte Poten, you will come across the Plein. This square — its name simply translates as 'square' in English — is one of the most elegant in the center of town. Located right next to the Binnenhof, if is lined with historic government buildings on three of its four sides. The north side is lined with bars and cafés, which spill out onto the square in summer. These pavement cafés are quite popular with politicians from the neighboring Binnenhof, and indeed the Prime Minister himself (easily recognisable by his resemblance to Harry Potter) can be spotted here with a pint regularly. The square is also the preferred place for many demonstrations against government policies. The statue in the middle is that of William of Orange, heralded as the founding father of the Dutch nation.
• Binnenhof, [3]. Since the 13th century the Binnenhof ('Inner Court') has subsequently been the seat of the government of the county of Holland, the Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It used to be a castle, surrounded by moats on all sides. Since then it has been modified countless times to accommodate the expanding Dutch government. The moats have been filled, but the castle still borders on the Court Pond (named Hofvijver): in its waters the old buildings continue to mirror themselves. Today, the Binnenhof houses the two chambers of the Dutch parliament and the Prime Minister's office, in a small round tower opposite the Mauritshuis. Enter through one of the gates on Plein or Buitenhof and you will find yourself in a medieval enclosed courtyard, surrounded by architecture from the 13th up to the 19th century. There may be crowds here sometimes, because of demonstrations, TV shootings or receptions of foreign officials. In the middle stands the Knight's Hall, the original centerpiece of the castle, now used for ceremonial purposes. The Knight's Hall is accessible in guided tours. Unfortunately, the other splendid rooms of the complex are closed to the general public. It is possible to attend the meetings of the parliament, however. The Tweede Kamer (second chamber) of parliament meets daily and has a new gathering room since 1992. The Eerste Kamer (first chamber) meets monthly, and does so in one of the most splendid Dutch 17th century interiors that the country has to offer. If you can get into a meeting do so, especially for the lavishly painted ceiling.
• Mauritshuis, [4]. Housed in a 17th century palace overlooking the water of the Court Pond, the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis contains the former collection of last Dutch stadtholder William V. The museum is quite small, although a complete tour still takes at least an hour, but the average quality of its old Dutch masters is excellent. It contains world famous works by Johannes Vermeer (Girl with the pearl earring,View of Delft), Rembrandt (The anatomy lesson of dr. Nicolaes Tulp), Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Hans Holbein and others. Korte Vijverberg 8, next to the Binnenhof. Open Tue-Sat 10-17, Sun 11-17, also Mon 10-17 from Apr-Aug. Entrance 7.50 euro, free under 18.
• Bredius Museum [5] A private collection of Dutch Baroque art.
• Museum de Gevangenpoort, [6]. De Gevangenpoort (Prison gate) was built in 1370 as an entrance gate to the Binnenhof complex; from 1420 it was also used a prison, and has been used as a such up to early in the 19th century. In 1853 it was converted into a museum. For a taste of medieval justice, have a look at this museum's collection of torture instruments and enter its original medieval cell blocks. Buitenhof 33. Open Tue-Fri 10-17, Sat-Sun 12-17. Entrance 4.00 euro.
• Lange Voorhout. From either gate of the Binnenhof walk west, pass the short side of the Hofvijver, and you will reach Lange Voorhout. This former extension of the Hague Forest is now a large tree-lined square, bordered on all sides by the grandest 18th century townhouses the city has to offer. Note especially the grand baroque 'Huis Huguetan' on the long west side, home to the Dutch supreme court. The square is especially pretty in spring, when its crocuses are in bloom. On thursdays and sundays there is a very good antique and book market. In summer, the square hosts Den Haag Sculptuur [7], a yearly free outside sculpture exhibition. The tenth edition [8], in 2007, celebrated the 400 years of relations between the Netherlands and Australia. Ignore the fortified monstrosity that is the U.S. embassy on the corner.
• Escher in het Paleis, [9]. This former royal townhouse was recently converted into a museum dedicated to the famous Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. The first three floors display prints, sketches and archive material showing how Escher progressed from realistic pictures to his later optical illusion and geometrical patterns. The top floor offers a trip through Escher's worlds through 3d graphic headsets. Lange Voorhout 74. Open Tue-Sun 11-17. Entrance 7.50 euro.
• Denneweg. From Escher in het Paleis on Lange Voorhout, past the huge and posh Des Indes hotel, the short Vos in Tuinstraat leads westwards up to Denneweg. This street is a good area for antique and specialty shops. It also has some good pubs and restaurants, although expensive, with upper-class atmosphere to match. Parallel to the Denneweg run Hooigracht and Smidswater, two of the few quaint canals in the city, with which other Dutch towns and cities are so well endowned.
• Paleis Noordeinde, [10]. This royal palace is currently the one Queen Beatrix uses as her office. It is not open to the public, but the grand 17th century façade can be admired from the Noordeinde street. Noordeinde itself has a large number of art galleries. There are gardens on the other side of the palace that are available for a stroll. Access through Prinsessewal.
• Panorama Mesdag, [11]. The Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting from 1881, more than 14 meters high and 120 meters in circumference. The vista of the sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village was painted by one of the most famous painters of the Hague School, Hendrik Willem Mesdag. It is the oldest 19th century panorama in the world in its original site. Zeestraat 65. Mon-Fri 10-17, Sat-Sun 12-17. Entrance 4.00 euro.
• De Verdieping van Nederland, [12]. Free exhibition showcasing the history of the country through original copies of its historically most significant documents. It has the original copy of peace treaty of Münster with Spain, marking the end of the 80-year Dutch independence war in 1648, and the original sales act of the Dutch purchase of Manhattan from the Indians. In the buildings of the Nationaal Archief and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal Library), right next to platform 12 on the north side of Central. Open Wed-Sat 9-17, Tue 9-20, Sun and Mon 12-17. Entrance free.
• Oude Stadhuis. The orignal old town hall is nice but rather small building from the 15th century; at the time The Hague itself was a small town, more a settlement around the Court. It was extended in the 18th century. This part has a grand facade facing the 15th century Grote Kerk (Big Church), originally the city's main place of worship, but now in use for events and occasional exhibitions. Dagelijkse Groenmarkt. Not open to the public.
• Stadhuis. Early in the nineties the municipality moved to this enormous white building by American architect Richard Meier, nicknamed by locals as the Ice Palace. Walk in to have a look at the lofty main hall (atrium), which has exhibits on various topics related to the city. The two air bridges through the hall connecting the various offices had to be fenced off to prevent suicides but still make for a nice view of the atrium below. The city hall borders a large, somewhat barren modern square with a bassin-less fountain. It contrasts sharply with the Baroque Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), located in a small park in the other side of the road. Spui 70. Entrance free.

Statenkwartier Area

The Statenkwartier area, located conveniently between the dunes and the city center, has leafy avenues and 19th century housing that is very popular with The Hague's large expatriate community. The area is nice for a walk as the 19th century mansions provide for great architectural diversity: all kinds of neo-styles are represented, but pay special attention to the examples of Art Nouveau architecture which abound here, as in the city center. Good shops, delicatessens and restaurants are to be found on Statenkwartier's main street, Frederik Hendriklaan, or 'Fred'. The area also has a number of tourist attractions which make it worth a visit, clustered around the Gemeentemuseum on Stadhouderslaan.

• Haags Gemeentemuseum, [13] The Gemeentemuseum (Municipal Museum) has a small collection of classical modern art (some Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Monet, Sisley, Degas, Bacon). It boasts an especially large collection of Mondrians, showcasing the entire career of this painter known for his works with red, blue and yellow shapes. The Gemeentemuseum also has a large selection of paintings of the Hague School, a 19th century movement of landscape artists, in addition to period rooms and collections of fashion, musical instruments and decorative arts. The rotating exhibitions on 19th and early 20th century art held here are usually quite popular with the general public. The museum is housed in a 1938 yellow brick building by Dutch architect Hendrik Berlage, a pioneer in modern architecture, best-known for his Beurs van Berlage, the exchange building on the Damrak in Amsterdam. Next to the Gemeentemuseum are the GEM, with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, and the Fotomuseum Den Haag, which has rotating photography exhibitions. Stadhouderslaan 41. Tue-Sun 11-17. Entrance E. 8,00, E. 5,00 concessions. From Central take tram 17 to Statenkwartier or bus 24 to Kijkduin; from Hollands Spoor take tram 17.
• Museon, [14]. Interactive popular-science museum, very popular with school groups. Stadhouderslaan 37, next to the Gemeentemuseum. Open Tue-Sun 11-17. Entrance 7.50 euro, discounts for children.
• Omniversum, [15]. Cinema with a round screen, offering a 360 degree viewing experience. Runs IMAX/Discovery-style documentaries; some are aimed at children. President Kennedylaan 5, behind the Museon. Tickets 9.00 euro, 7.50 euro for children. Combined tickets with the Museon are available at a discount.
• Vredespaleis, [16] The Peace Palace was built in 1913, to house the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which was hoped to provide a means to legally settle international disputes. Ironically, World War I broke out just a year later. Today the Peace Palace also houses the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial body of the UN, which settles disputes between countries only. Carnegieplein 2. Open Mon-Fri. Visit by guided tours booked in advance at 070 - 302 41 37. Entrance 5.00 euro. From Central Station take bus 24 to Kijkduin; from Hollands Spoor and the center of town, take bus 24 or tram 1 to Scheveningen Noorderstrand.

Elsewhere

• Madurodam, [17]. This miniature city contains a selection of Dutch architecture, ranging from Amsterdam's canals and church spires from Utrecht and Den Bosch, to modern architecture from Rotterdam and the enormous Delta works that protect the country from the sea. Madurodam also has an airport, a seaport, beaches, and little cars and trains running through the entire town. This is a great attraction for kids (and those young at heart). George Maduroplein 1. Open daily 9-18, later in summer. Entrance 12.50 euro, 9.00 euro for children. Take tram 9 or bus 22 to Scheveningen Noorderstrand (from Central) or tram 9 (from Hollands Spoor).
• Paleis Huis ten Bosch, [18] The home palace of Queen Beatrix, Huis ten Bosch, is in the middle of the greenery of the Haagse Bos. (The Hague Forest). The palace is not open to visitors.

By Air

Although The Hague has its own airport, there are no commercial flights connecting there. Schiphol Airport is only 40 minutes away by train, though, and Rotterdam Airport is only 25 minutes by car.

By Train

The Hague has six train stations. Two of them cater to InterCity trains.

Den Haag CS (Centraal Station)
Den Haag CS is in the process of being renovated, and is the biggest train station of The Hague. It is located at walking distance from the city centre and from Malieveld. It has connections to Amsterdam (45'), Schiphol Airport (30'), Utrecht (35'), Groningen (150') and many other cities throughout the Randstad and the Netherlands. International connections to Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt, Prague, Moscow, Basel and Copenhagen can be reached through Utrecht. To get to the city centre of The Hague from the Central Station, leave through the left side entrance (where the trams are located) and walk through the glass passageway and straight ahead. You should reach the centre of town in less than 5 minutes.

Den Haag HS (Hollands Spoor)
Den Haag HS is located at only a 15 minute walk from Central Station. It has connections by Thalys to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris, as well as domestic connections to Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Leiden and Delft. Trains southbound from Den Haag CS always pass through Hollands Spoor. To get to the city centre, walk straight ahead from the main entrance and follow the road (Stationsweg) through Chinatown, and you'll end up right in the middle of town.

You are likely to use Central Station most often, as it is located more conveniently for access to the center of town, tourist attractions and shopping. It also has the best local public transport links, and is also safer at night than Hollands Spoor, which is located in a somewhat dodgy area of town. The only reason for using Hollands Spoor you might have is to catch the international trains to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris. In addition to southbound trains from Central, tram lines 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17 cover the short distance from Central Station to Hollands Spoor.

By Car

The Hague is connected by toll-free motorways to Amsterdam (A4 and A44), Rotterdam (A13) and Utrecht (A12). Access to the center of town is through the A12 motorway which penetrates the city center like a needle and ends on a large traffic junction just north of the historic center. Approaching the city from any of these motorways can take a long time during morning rush hour; in the evenings most of the traffic is headed out of town. On hot summer days, hundreds of thousands of people try to reach the Scheveningen (The Hague) beach by car, and huge traffic jams of up to 50 km long may occur, causing traffic delays of up to several hours. On such days, consider taking a train. A park and ride facility, P+R Hoornwijck, opened in 2008 on the Laan van Hoornwijck by the Ypenburg interchange. Motorists can easily reach it from the A4 (Exit 9) and A13 (Exit 7).

By Tram or Bus

The Hague has an efficient city wide system of trams and buses, running mostly on free tracks allowing for a fairly speedy ride. HTM [2] runs the public transport system in The Hague and some of the surrounding area. From Central Station and Hollands Spoor the entire city can be reached with between zero and two transfers; major attractions do not require transfers.

Fares are paid using the strippenkaart system as everywhere else in the country. Strippenkaarten containing 15 strips are bought in advance; travellers are expected to validate one strip plus one extra for every zone they travel through on their trip. Layovers are permitted. The zones are indicated on route maps. Trips within the city center require two strips; trips to the Statenkwartier area and to Scheveningen require three. When travelling on trams, validate your ticket on the on-board machines. On buses, just tell the driver where you need to go and he will validate the appropriate number of strips. It is possible to travel together: just validate the same amount of strips twice.

If this all sounds too complicated to you, day tickets are available as well at 6.00 euro, and bus and tram drivers sell single tickets, day returns and day tickets as well. As opposed to the nationwide strippenkaart, these are only valid in The Hague, and they are all more expensive than the strippenkaart, which should cost you the equivalent of 0.90 euro per town center trip. Tickets can be bought from the HTM offices at Central Station and Hollands Spoor as well as from the 'Kiosk' stands at those stations. In town tobacconists, book shops, supermarkets and tourist office usually sell them, as does the HTM shop at Wagenstraat 35.

Hollands Spoor has trams stopping in the front of its main entrance. Central has most trams on the south side (Rijnstraat), but the main lines (2, 3 and 6) stop on platforms crossing the main station hall at level 1. Buses are on the bus platform, above the railway tracks. Central Station is currently (2008, almost finished) undergoing major reconstruction work which may make some connections hard to find. Just ask if you can't find your tram or bus.

Note: You can enter trams without having a valid ticket. Risks are fairly low of getting caught, as conductors only enter trams very occasionally. The official fine is 35 euro plus the price of the ticket though, but in practice the conductors will sometimes let you just buy your ticket at the driver. Many kids just sneak off the tram at the first stop when conductors enter the tram, as stops are usually fairly close to each other. In the most recent times however, security personnel and HTM personnel have the orders of checking more thoroughly, especially in the City Centre. This policy covers almost all tramlines. (in short: on all tramways between the major trainstations). When caught, one can be transferred to police custody and be forced to go through an arrest procedure. It is not adviced anymore to try to skip payment.

By Foot

The Hague is a very compact city, you can easily navigate the centre by foot.

Department stores

• Maison de Bonneterie, [20]. Opulent fashion store in a 1913 glass-domed building. Purveyors to Her Royal Majesty the Queen, etc. Expensive, naturally. Gravenstraat 2.
• De Bijenkorf, [21]. Middle-class to expensive department store, housed in a large building from 1924 built in a unique expressionist style with brick and copper. Have a look at the glass-stained windows in the staircase. The restaurant 'La Ruche' in the third floor has a good view of the surrounding area. Wagenstraat 32, corner Grote Marktstraat.
• V&D, [22]. Middle-class department store, in a concrete building in need of refurbishment. Grote Marktstraat 50.

Shopping streets and areas

• De Passage, [23]. Covered shopping gallery from 1882, almost unique to the Netherlands, only one sister building known: Brussels. Currenly undergoing restoration. Specialty shops, upmarket fashion shops. Entrances on Spuistraat, Buitenhof and Hofweg.
• Hoogstraat. Fashion, up-market.
• Prinsestraat. Specialty shops, delicatessens and restaurants in the area around this street, located between Grote Kerk and Noordeinde palace.
• Spuistraat. Pedestrianized shopping streets, mainly chain stores. Other streets in the area are Vlamingstraat, Venestraat and Wagenstraat.
• Grote Marktstraat. Large department stores.
• Denneweg. Antiques, bric-a-brac, specialty foods.
• Noordeinde. Art galleries.

Just as Indian restaurants abound in the UK, the Netherlands has an excellent tradition in Indonesian and colonial Dutch-Indies cuisine. After Indonesia became independent from the Netherlands in 1945, the country received a large number of former colonials from Dutch and mixed descent who had been forced to leave the newly independent colony. The Hague received a relatively large number of these people and is still a center of the Dutch-Indonesian community.

Indonesian, city center:

• Garuda, Kneuterdijk 18a. Historic place with waiters in traditional costumes, spread out over two floors
• Surakarta, Prinsestraat 13.
• Istana, Wagenstraat 71. Small restaurant with somewhat minimalist decor. Excellent sateh.
• Djawa, Mallemolen 12a. One the best places in town.

Indonesian, out of the center:

• Bogor, Van Swietenstraat 2 (070) 346 1628. Know by the in-crowd as traditionally the best place in town. Simple but excellent food, has been around for over 40 years and has not changed since.
• Tampat Senang, Laan van Meerdervoort 6. Very colonial-style restaurant with waiters in traditional costumes. Beautifully decorated with indigenous art. Excellent garden for outside dining in summer.
• Palembang, Thomsonlaan 17. Cosy place with excellent food. Lots of pictures on the wall with local celebrities who visited here.
• Sarinah, Goudenregenplein 4, 070-360 1585. A local institution, this place gets especially busy in the weekends when service can be a bit slow. Has both a restaurant area and a take-away service.
• Keraton Damai, Groot Hertoginnelaan 57, 070-363 9371. Small 'living-room style restaurant' with very personal and attentive service. Small but excellent choice of dishes.

Other:

• Chinatown. Recently the town has officially hailed the area around Gedempte Gracht and Wagenstraat as its local Chinatown, and added street signs in Chinese and all that. The area is not particularly spectacular, but good Chinese food is to be found around here. Fat Kee has a superb chicken and broccoli dish. Another excellent place is the Harvest, which is in the heart of Chinatown; try the various dim sum dishes there.

• Dudok. Hofweg 1a. Dudok lies right opposite the Binnenhof and is quite popular with both politicians and the "ordinary" public out shopping.

• Sakura. In Scheveningen. A friendly sushi bar that can accommodate a big crowd.

• Irodion (Greek) In the city center, next to the Media Market. Actually this is made up of two restaurants; the first one is fast food take out, where you can get the ubiquitous giros and tzatziki, with a generous portion of french fries. The second part is actually more fancier eat-in restaurant. Highly recommended.

• There are also other small mom and pop restaurants around The Hague, such as take out Suriname, Chinese, or Thai. They are small and normally a tourist wouldn't know much about them. But if you wander around the city and the more residential areas, such as the Zeeheldenkwartier, you'll find them easily. On the main street in the Zeeheldenkwartier (Elandstraat 52), past the McDonald's and the Albert Heijn, you'll find a small Suriname restaurant called Warung Kromo there. It is mostly for take-away dishes, but there are a few tables and chairs inside if you want to eat there. The people are friendly and the food is good and cheap. Try the roti and curry dishes, as well as the simple Suriname "broodjes". Heel lekker! Eet smaaklik!

• Asta, [24]. Club located in a former theatre and cinema building. The atmosphere of the old cinema is retained in the interior, including one room which still has the original cinema seat available for lounging. Student's nights is Tursday, club nights on Friday and Saturday. Queues can get massive on Thursday's and on other days when well-known acts are contracted. Spui 27. Open Th,F 11PM-4AM, Sat 11PM-5:30AM.
• Paard van Troje, also a venue for concerts and such [25]. Prinsegracht 12.
• De Zwarte Ruiter [26]. A busy bar at the "Grote Markt" square near Paard van Troje.
• September, next to De Zwarte Ruiter.
• Club Sillies, a bar cum night club catering for the partyfolk, next to September and De Zwarte Ruiter.
• De Boterwaag opposite September, housed in a former weighing building it's a spacious and atmospheric venue.

During summer, the "Grote markt" becomes a big open air terrace, great for people watching!

• Grand Cafe Greve [27] near the Grote Kerk and opposite the best ice cream parlor in town, Florencia