The heart of the city contains most of the historic architecture from the medieval, renaissance, and Baroque periods and is easily accessible on foot. You'll also find lots of outdoor cafes and shopping near the Plein on the Lange Poten or just east of there on the Hofweg.
Binnenhof : (northwest of the Plein, trams 1 and 9 (Spui stadhuis stop), trams 2, 3, 6, & 10 (Spui stop)), ☎ +31 70 3646144, [2]. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. 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 gathered here on occasion because of public demonstrations, TV airings or receptions for foreign officials. In the middle stands the Knight's Hall, the original centerpiece of the castle, 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, however, to attend the meetings of the parliament. 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 a splendid 17th century Dutch-styled interior with a lavishly painted ceiling.
Bredius Museum : he private collection of Abraham Bredius, a 19th-century art historian contains Dutch Baroque art, as well as drawings, porcelain and crafted silver
Museum de Gevangenpoort : Built in 1370 as an entrance gate to the Binnenhof complex, the Gevangenpoort (Prison Gate) was converted into a prison in 1420. In 1853 the prison shutdown and it was turned into a museum. For a taste of medieval justice, have a look at their collection of torture instruments and get locked inside an original medieval cell block.
This former extension of The Hague Forest is now a large tree-lined square, bordered on all sides by grand 18th century townhouses. The large Baroque building on the west side is the 'Huis Huguetan', 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. Every summer, the square hosts The Hague Sculpture (Den Haag Sculptuur) [3], a free outdoor sculpture exhibition. The fortified building on the corner is the US Embassy and has been a point of contention among locals and embassy officials because of the heightened security.
Denneweg. This street is a prime area for finding antique and specialty shops. It also has some good pubs and upscale restaurants to recharge in after shopping. Parallel to the Denneweg run the Hooigracht and Smidswater canals, which are two of the very few canals in The Hague compared to other major Dutch cities and towns.
Paleis Noordeinde :This is the royal palace that Queen Beatrix uses as her office. While the inside is not open to the public, the 17th-century façade can be seen from Noordeinde street, which also has a large number of art galleries. The gardens on the opposite side of the palace are accessible to the public for walking.
De Verdieping van Nederland :(north side of Centraal Station next to platform 12, inside the Royal Library). W-Sa 9AM-5PM, T 9AM-8PM, Su-M 12PM-5PM. A free exhibition showcasing the history of the Netherlands through original copies of historically 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.
Oude Stadhuis : The original town hall is a small building from the 15th century when The Hague itself was a small settlement around the Royal Court. In the 18th century it was expanded upon and now has a grand facade facing the 15th-century Grote Kerk (Big Church), originally used as city's main place of worship, but now primarily functions as an exhibition space.
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Since The Hague was founded on a former hunting manor, there are a variety of parks and green spaces that are ideal for exploration. Like the majority of cities in the Netherlands, The Hague is extremely bike friendly and it's easy to get from one place to another on a bicycle if you feel like stepping outside the city center. Scheveningen (and to a lesser extent Kijkduin) is a busy seaside resort filled with boardwalk cafes and close to the dunes. The prime months to get out and see The Hague on foot or by pedal are in the late spring, summer, and early fall months; just note that the beachfront area can get extremely crowded as vacationers from all over Europe come to visit and bask along the North Sea coastline.
Park Clingendael - Once a former estate, the park is best known for its Japanese garden which is one of the oldest (1910) in Europe. While the garden is only open from late April till mid June, the surrounding area is open all year long and is free for visitors.
Westbroekpark - An English-style 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 - This park is the oldest forested area in the country. It stretches from the suburb of Wassenaar to the northeast and goes right to the doorstep of Centraal Station, where there is a small fenced off area with deer. Haagse Bos also has a large birds-nest built on top of a pole, with which the local municipality has succeeded in attracting a pair of storks, since the stork is in the city's emblem. The Haagse Bos also contains the Queen's palace of Huis ten Bosch
- Scheveningse Bosjes - A park near Scheveningen centered around a small lake, the Waterpartij. Home to the Indiëmonument which commemorates Dutch victims of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies.
- Wassenaar - This suburb of The Hague is the wealthiest municipality in the country. Large wooded areas contain cycling and walking paths and are interspersed with huge estates. The village center has a few restaurants and shops and is fairly close to the beach.
areas are great for walking, cycling and mountain biking.
The North Sea coast resorts, [4]. Resort facilities at Scheveningen and at Kijkduin have access to the beach, the dunes, as well as seaside restaurants and cafes. Be sure to check out the Scheveningen Pier, the largest pier in the Netherlands, which has a 60 meter (200 ft) lookout tower, bungee jumping, and a casino and restaurant. Scheveningen gets crowded in the summer, so try Kijkduin if you're looking for something a little more peaceful
Delft Pottery
Just world-famous for its blue and white pottery, porcelain and ceramics Delft cannot be left without visiting a Delft Blue shop.
You may find beautiful small Delft Blue products for your kitchen,...
And don't forget the Delft Blue tiles
which are in favour, even the very cheap kitchy-ones.
Some hand-made painted souvenirs are really gorgeous items, and even the colours donot have to be blue. I can imagine Delft Blue got so popular everywhere, so take your chance ...
Some popular Delftware factories:
Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles
Rotterdamseweg 196 - Delft (tel. 0031(15)2512030)
The Delftse Pauw
Delftweg 133 - Delft, (tel. 0031(15)2124920)
The Candelaer
Kerkstraat 14 - Delft (tel. 0031(15)2131848)
Delft Blue products can be bought in any price ...
Cheap (starting at some Euro's) up to expensive ...
A tile starts about 5 Euro ...
