the Hague

Het Binnenhof

The Hague “city of peace and justice”
The Hague is about half an hour drive away from Noordwijk. The Dutch government and parliament are housed here. Furthermore, almost all embassies and ministries can be found in this city and it’s also the post of many (inter)national courts of law. The Dutch Parliament (Binnenhof) is the heart of politics in The Hague, right in the centre of the city. The Knight’s Hall (Ridderzaal) is situatied in the middle, surrounded by the Senate (Eerste Kamer) and House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer). The Netherlands is ruled from here. The Hague is not only special because the Dutch Parliament is housed here, but also because of its many monuments, historical neighbourhoods and location near the coast. Near the Plein and Grote Markt, there are tons of pleasant bars and restaurants and the supply of shops is very diverse as well. The supply of art and culture is world-class. Scheveningen, one of the most famous seaside resorts on the coast of the Netherlands with more than 1,5 million visitors each year, and the dunes of Kijkduin are only 6km from the inner city of The Hague and 17km from Noordwijk. And The Hague is the royal seat of the Royal Family. Palace Noordeinde has always been the home of the ruling monarch at any time. Address: Noordeinde 68, 2514 GL The Hague.

Museums in The Hague

The Hague has an edifying amount of museums with beautiful exhibitions. There’s the Mauritshuis (www.mauritshuis.nl) with the world-famous painting of Vermeer: The Girl With the Pearl Earring. At the Gemeentemuseum (www.gemeentemuseum.nl), there’s a lot by Piet Mondriaan and Panorama Mesdag (www.panorama-mesdag.nl) has the only 19th century panorama painting of the Netherlands. A cylinder-shaped painting of 14 metres high and with a circumference of 120 metres. Attractions for children in The Hague are, for instance, Madurodam and Omniversum. For more info, see: Children and Noordwijk and surroundings.

Short history The Hague

The oldest archaeological finds near the Dutch Parliament date back to 3000 BC. Present-day The Hague has existed since 1230 when count Floris IV from Holland built a modest castle. Ever since the beginning of the 15th century, The Hague had a population of thousands and 16.000 by 1622. It wasn’t until 1806 that The Hague was granted privileges. Around 1900, the city had around 200.000 inhabitants. To the south of the old city centre, the densely populated working-class areas came into existance while new neighbourhoods were being built for the more fortunate citizens on the side of the dunes. Between 1907 and 1913, the Peace Palace was built, where the International Court of Justice would be located later. In the 20th century, The Hague incorporated areas due to lack of space.