The city of two royal residences, the seat of parliament and the seat of the UN Court has its own unique flavor. Traditions are honored here and life flows measuredly. There is no ultra-modern art here, and the main attractions of The Hague are majestic castles, landscaped parks and preserved medieval buildings. We will tell you where to go for a tourist and what to see first of all, and we will help you make the best route for walking around this amazing city.

peace palace

In the center of The Hague in the middle of the park is the Peace Palace, which is the official residence of the International Court of Justice. The building of red brick and white sandstone, combining Gothic, Romanesque and Byzantine styles, became a copy of the Town Hall of the 17th century. in Calais. It was built according to an adapted design by the French architect Cordonnier, whose sketch won the competition among 216 other works, with the money of the American philanthropist Carnegie. The palace is decorated with two towers, one of which houses a clock and a carillon with 48 bells.

The palace interior is impressive, which absorbed the best from the countries of the world. Here, Italian marble, Scandinavian wood, Chinese and Hungarian vases, American statues, Turkish and Persian carpets, Japanese tapestries. On the territory surrounding the palace, in front of which there is a fountain, there is a landscaped garden – the work of Thomas Mawson. You can visit the palace and garden only as part of a group for 9.5 € several times a year on weekends. The rest of the time, tourists are waiting for a free audio guide and video tour at the Visitor Center, which is open from 10.00 to 17.00 daily, except Monday.

Knight's Hall

The Knight's Hall is located in the center of the Binnenhof palace complex, being part of it. Built in the 13th century. The building is used as before for ceremonial events. Previously, these were festivities, now the performances of the monarch and royal receptions. The structure is a pointed pentahedron, which is surrounded by towers on both sides. The width of the building's walls reaches 1.5 m. The facade is decorated with a round window with stained-glass windows depicting the coats of arms of the ruling monarchies.

The interior arrangement of the hall is also interesting. There are no usual columns or other structures supporting the roof. A fairly large span of 18 m rests on a wooden beam frame, resembling an inverted ship hull. There is a throne in the room and flags of 12 provinces hang. The unique building can only be visited during a group tour.

Binnenhof Castle

Binnenhof Castle is a majestic architectural complex in the very center of The Hague. Having grown out of the count's hunting castle, today it is the center of the political life of the country, because. within its walls the parliament and the government work. The complex consists of many buildings. The most interesting of them will be the Knights' Hall (in the adjoining wing the Parliament met before the move) and the Tower of Torentje, where the Prime Minister is located. In addition, the Binnenhof includes the buildings of the two chambers and the new parliament building.

The courtyard of the palace can be accessed through the Grenadier and Regency Gates. Here the eye is attracted by a gilded forged fountain and a small church decorated with turrets. From 3 sides, the palace complex is surrounded by a magnificent park where you can walk while enjoying the views. On the fourth side, it goes to the Hoffeyver pond – this is how it appears to tourists in the photo.

Louvmann Automobile Museum

Even non-car enthusiasts will be interested in the Louvmann Museum. It represents the oldest private collection in the world, the first car in which appeared in 1934. Two generations of Louvmanns collected cars and during this time their number exceeded 250 copies. The exposition includes both old and modern models. The museum has moved several times. The last time was in The Hague in 2010, where he occupied a building specially built for him.

Here, on 10 thousand m2, visitors are waiting for the unique Eisink, the Bickers auto-steam locomotive, the classic Spikers, the first Dodges, Winston Churchill's Aston Martin, the rare Edsel-Peyser, the Amfikar amphibian and many others. The museum building has a restaurant and a shop where you can buy both books and posters, as well as Millers Oil products. The museum is open daily except Monday from 10.00 to 17.00.

Madurodam Miniature Park

The miniature park embodies a typical Dutch city. This is not a copy of a certain city, this is a collective image. Here are views of Amsterdam, The Hague, Kinderdijk, Utrecht, Rotterdam. The park was created to support a sanatorium for students with tuberculosis, so that they can continue their education during treatment. The first contribution was given by the Madurodam family, which was the reason for the name of the project.

The project turned out to be very ambitious. Opened in 1952, the park was constantly being improved, and in 2011 it was renovated. The exhibits of the park are made in the ratio of 1:25. The exposition is divided into several thematic zones. One of them is “Grand Cities“, which introduces such famous buildings as the Westerkerk Church, the Anne Frank Museum, the Royal Palace, the Tower House, etc. The peculiarity of the miniature park is its interactivity. Visitors can control figurines, cars, trains, planes, and even act out entire skits.

Madurodam is open from 8.00 to 20.00 daily.

Royal Gallery Mauritshuis

In the very center near the Binnenhof, in the mansion of the famous architect Jacob van Kampen, there is the royal gallery Mauritshuis. Opened in 1822, the gallery is one of the most famous in the Netherlands. The 16 rooms of the historic building house the relatively small Mauritshuis collection, which consists of 250 works by Dutch Golden Age artists. In addition, the exhibition includes paintings from other periods, miniatures, sculptures, drawings, etc. The halls themselves are also of interest due to the historical interiors created by painted ceilings, silk-covered walls and elegant chandeliers.

The gallery's collection includes works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Potter, Steen, Fabricius, Hals and others. The gallery is connected by an underground passage to the Royal Wing, which houses workshops, a library and several rooms that can be rented. The museum has a brasserie and gift shop. The gallery is open from 10.00 to 18.00, Monday 13.00-18.00.

Escher Museum

The Escher Museum is the best opportunity to get acquainted with the work of one of the best graphic artists of the 20th century. Moritz Escher. The museum opened in 2002 in Longe Voorhout Castle, which was previously used by the royal dynasties as a winter residence and office. Some rooms of the building still have preserved the historical interior. The recognized landmarks of the palace are the chandeliers of the famous sculptor Hans van Bentham and the Judd parquet.

The permanent exhibition includes lithographs, prints, wood carvings. The first floor houses the early works of the Dutch artist. Here are exhibited “tests of the pen”, from landscapes to graphics. The second floor was occupied by works of the late period, including world masterpieces: “Belvedere”, “Air and Water”, “Waterfall” and before. On the third floor there is a world of optical illusions, where visitors like to take pictures so much. The building houses a gift shop and a cafe that has taken over the former kitchen of Queen Emma.

Pier Scheveningen

On the territory of the Scheveningen district, which is considered the best resort in the Netherlands, there is a pier with the same name. This is the second pier erected here. The first built in 1901 was destroyed during the Second World War, because. used by the Germans as an ammunition depot. In 1959, the construction of a 380-meter modern pier began – beloved by tourists and local residents. It consists of two tiers: a glass lower gallery and an open upper one. The pier has become not only a promenade, an observation deck, but also a shopping and entertainment space.

On its territory there are numerous shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and even a casino. For lovers of a healthy lifestyle, personal training is offered in the modern gym or relaxation in the pools with sea water. As an entertainment, the pier may offer to look at the surroundings from the cabin of the Ferris Wheel attraction, which is equipped with air conditioning. In search of adrenaline, they usually go to a 65-meter tower, from which you can make a bungee jump.

Noordeinde Palace

One of the 4 official residences of the royal family, Noordeinde Palace is centrally located on the shopping street. Built like a farmhouse, Noordeinde is modest. The original stonework is still intact in its cellars. The appearance of the palace is associated with the name of Frederick Heinrich, grandson of William of Orange, on whose orders in 1609 an ordinary house was expanded and rebuilt. It changed hands over the centuries, until in 1813 the palace became the property of the state and the official winter residence of the royal family.

Some liked it, some did not, some were born here, and some did not live a single day in it. In 1984, Noordeinde was given the title of royal office, which he remains to this day. Since 2013, the King of the Netherlands, Willem Alexander, has been working in it. Due to the small size of the building and the busyness of the monarch, the palace remains closed to the public. For several weeks in the summer it is open for tours.

Höys-ten-Boss Palace

In the middle of the luxurious Haagse-Bos park, there is another official residence of the royal dynasty. Not at all like the ordinary Noordeinde, the Heist-ten-Bos palace is striking in its splendor. From the building itself to the landscape design, it is more like Peterhof or the Maisons-Laffitte palace. Built by famous architects Post and Kampen in ser. 17th century the palace was intended for Frederick of Orange, and after his death it became a kind of monument to the memory of the prince. This is evidenced by the famous Hall of Fame, which was designed by such artists as Honthorst, Bosschaert, Lievens, van Dyck and others.

The palace was completed and rebuilt. World War II nearly destroyed the stunning complex. The post-war reconstruction ended only in 1981. The “House in the Forest“, as the name of the palace and park ensemble is translated, was chosen by many monarchs as a place of residence, so it remains closed to visitors.

old town hall

“Ice Palace” – this is how the locals call the building in which the Old Town Hall is located for its color. The mayor's office moved to the New Town Hall, but in the old one you can still get married, and members of the monarchy register the birth of children. Built in the 16th century the building consists of several buildings that appeared at different times. The octagonal tower, preserved from the count's castle located on this site, gives it a special charm. It is crowned by a bell tower, the bells of which ring four times a day. The facade of the oldest part of the Town Hall is decorated with statues symbolizing justice, strength, hope, love and faith.

This space is used by the municipality. Court sessions are held in the second building, which housed the House of Elders. Despite the wars and the Protestant revolution, the old stained-glass windows, paintings and murals of the 17th century have been preserved in the building, built instead of the fortress walls. The basements of the building are also not idle. There is an atmospheric restaurant here.

Panorama of Mesdag

Panorama Mesdag is called a museum of one masterpiece. The main exhibit of the museum is a canvas 120 m long and 4 m high, which gives a 360-degree view of the North Sea, the dunes and the village of Scheveningen, as it was in the late 19th century. Visitors can admire the opening picture from a small gazebo, which is located at a distance of 14 m from the panorama itself. This space is filled with sand, fishing nets and dried grass. The illusion of presence is supported by a light breeze and the sounds of the sea and seagulls that are heard from the speakers.

The canvas is not static, it can change depending on the weather. This is not magic, but a skillful move by the organizers of the museum, who provided a glass dome over the panoramic picture instead of the usual roof. Depending on the light, the colors on the canvas also change. In addition to the panorama of Mesdag, which the author and his assistants spent 4 months painting, the museum also has other works by the marine painter.

Museum

Muzeon is an interactive museum of science and culture, designed to indicate the nature of the relationship between man and nature. In 1904, a museum was created, which was conceived as a “school” one. Its exhibits were intended to serve as illustrations of the knowledge acquired at school. The basis of the exposition was laid by the first director-geologist. Due to donations, the museum fund is rapidly replenished with collections of exhibits related to geology, biology, history, ethnology and archeology.

A unique acquisition was a gift from a famous biologist who presented household items of the Eskimos of Greenland. Now the collection includes more than 270 thousand exhibits, including stuffed animals, dinosaur bones, tools and national costumes of the peoples of the world. Visitors are allowed not only to watch, but also to act out skits using the exhibits.

Museum “Prison Gates”

Prison Gates, Prisoners' Gates, the Museum of Torture or The Hague Lubyanka – whatever they call this museum, which is located in the former main entrance gate to the Binnenhof castle. Built in the XIII century. after 200 years they began to be used as a debtor's prison. A century later, there were no longer enough cells, so a courthouse and additional casemates were added. It was here that such famous personalities as the politician Cornelis de Witt, described in the novel by A. Dumas, and the scientist Dirk Koorngert were kept.

After 400 years of use as a prison, the building has become a museum. Here you can learn about the life of prisoners, the privileges of the nobility and look at the conditions of the poor. Expositions will tell about punishments and tortures. The museum has the largest collection of such instruments in the Netherlands. Open from 10.00 to 17.00 on weekdays except Monday, from 12.00 to 17.00 Saturday and Sunday.

Westbrook Park

One of the most beautiful Westbrook parks is located in Scheveningen, near the beach. Designed by P. Westbrook in 1920, the park provides areas for various recreation. Bright playgrounds have been built for children, and football fields for young people. Those who wish can take a walk along the shady alleys. In the middle of the park there is a lake, on the surface of which you can ride on rented boats. For those who are hungry, a restaurant and a tea room will be useful. You should go to the first one for a quick bite, they serve oriental cuisine. The second is chosen by romantics.

A grassy terrace and a light lunch in the silence of trees and the scent of flowers are the advantages of a tea room. The real treasure of the park is its rose garden, which has earned fame in the world. For research it is visited by florists from all over the world. The collection of the park is about 20 thousand rose bushes belonging to 300 varieties. From early July to late October, the rose garden shimmers with all colors and is fragrant.

Grand Hotel Amrth Kurhaus

In Scheveningen, right on the North Sea coast, is the Grand Hotel Amrth Kurhaus, whose splendor and grandeur make it look like a palace. Built in 1885, the hotel originally housed a concert hall, the stage of which saw many celebrities, as well as the hotel itself, where even members of the royal family stayed. Luciano Pavarotti, Julio Iglesias, pianists Claudio Arrau and Little Richard, singer La Toya Jackson and Donna Summers, brothers Disney and Helmut Kohl were noted in his guest book. The hotel's conference rooms have become a venue for summits and meetings of international organizations.

In 1969 the Kurhaus was closed. The building of the once grandiose hotel was supposed to be demolished, but it was included in the list of historical buildings. In 1979 the hotel reopens. Now the hotel houses the Kursaal, which acts as a gallery with a constantly changing exhibition, and a hall for celebrations, parties and chamber concerts. In addition, a branch of the Bell'Arte gallery was opened in the Kurhaus, exhibits of which can be found on the open terraces, foyer and just the corridors of the hotel.

UN prison

In 1994, a UN prison, or rather a division of the International Tribunal for Yugoslavia, was founded in the Schevenengen area. The prison, designed for 84 prisoners, now has only 51 people. The conditions in the prison are supervised by a commission of the International Red Cross organization. Prisoners are allowed to move freely around the prison, buy food, cook their own food (despite 3 meals a day).

They watch TV, talk on the phone, play sports, walk in the patio. They are even allowed to use a computer to prepare their defense or review case documents. The most surprising thing is that the prison itself is located between ordinary residential buildings. It is unlikely to get into it, but you can inspect the outside by going around the perimeter.