Things to Do & See in The Hague & Scheveningen Beach

The Hague in the Netherlands is a beautiful and historic city; therefore, there is lots to see and do. A visit to Den Haag can involve sightseeing walks and visits to palaces, museums, and art galleries.

One of the premier attractions is the Binnenhof, a Gothic castle with lots to see and do. It’s a great place to visit with a dog, and there are many dog-friendly bars and restaurants. The Hague on the coast appealed to me much more than the other easy-to-get-to place in Rotterdam. Scheveningen Beach was great fun and added a cool dimension to visiting the city.

The Hague/Den Haag

The Hague is the 3rd largest city in the Netherlands and is on the west coast of the country. The Hague is the home of the government of the Netherlands. It is also home to the International Court of Justice, one of the world’s most important courts. King Willem-Alexander lives in Huis ten Bosch, aka House in the Woods. He works at the Noordeinde Palace with Queen Máxima. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands are also in the city.

The International Court of Justice, the main judicial arm of the United Nations, is also in the city. The International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and Europol also call it home. In addition, many other international governmental organisations are based there.

The city impressed me; it was especially clean and visually appealing, with nice architecture. Den Haag had a fantastic public transport system with trams, buses, and trains.

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Things to see and do in The Hague

Den Haag is a great city for sightseeing, with many tourist attractions. We kept busy on our brief trip and found plenty of interesting things to do. There are many tour and activity options on the Viator website.

Visit Mauritshuis, an art museum

A pleasant attraction to see was the Mauritshuis art museum. Sadly, we only admired the architecture and subsequently regretted not going in. We missed seeing the works of Rembrandt, Vermeer & Holbein the Younger. The building, however, pleased my eye and, at the time, had a nice, tasteful Christmas tree outside. They built the Mauritshuis in the 17th century as a home for Count Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen. It is quite an impressive building and in a prominent part of the city.

Visit the Binnenhof, a Gothic Castle

The Binnenhof complex is one of the city’s main tourist attractions and a must-see. Built primarily in the 13th century, the Binnenhof is stunning. This Gothic castle originally functioned as the residence of the counts of Holland. It subsequently became the political centre of the Dutch Republic in 1584.

See Mauritspoort

Next to the Mauritshuis was the Mauritspoort, a gateway at the east end of the Binnenhof. A stunning work of architecture, it was built in 1634. I spent some time admiring the gate’s details while the dog sniffed around. What a fantastic entrance to a palace we were about to walk through. This set the tone and got me excited about the next stop.

Explore the Inner Courtyard of The Binnenhof

Through the gate was the inner courtyard of the Binnenhof. The 13th-century square is home to the Fountain at the Binnenhof. They built this in honour of Count William II of Holland. The citizens of The Hague donated the fountain in 1885. This courtyard and fountain were very photogenic.

See The Ridderzaal

The most prominent building inside the square was the Ridderzaal, or Knights Hall. They originally constructed the Ridderzaal as a ballroom. This building is architecturally stunning and photogenic. They use the Ridderzaal for the state opening of Parliament on Prinsjesdag. This is when the Dutch monarch rides to Parliament in the Golden Coach and delivers the speech from the throne.

Eat Herrings at The Lake

Exiting the square, we passed through the Stadhouderspoort, another gateway, and found ourselves hungry by the lake. I quickly fixed the hunger after spotting a street vendor selling the Dutch delicacy of raw herring. AKA Soused Herring, served with onions, was delicious.

They soak the soused herrings in a mild preserving liquid, similar to that used for pickled herrings. I often eat them in the UK, but these weren’t as overpowering in the vinegar department.

Walk around The Hofvijver

Next, I wandered along the Hofvijver lakeside to take in views of the Binnenhof and other buildings. The city’s skyline was visible in the distance. This lake was very nice, and I sat and chilled, soaking up the beauty and filling my soul with optimism for the trip. The dog wasn’t so impressed and just sniffed around and did his business.

Explore the Side Streets of Den Haag

In the next part of my visit, I explored the narrow side streets of the city. I passed through The Passage shopping arcade to get a tram to the next bookmarked location.

I also passed the impressive Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk. This church has a 6-sided neo-Gothic spire. I wish I had stopped and looked around more, but I had a bee in my bonnet about giving the puppy his first play on the beach before dark.

Visit The Peace Palace

The tram from the centre to Scheveningen passed the Peace Palace, somewhere I had accidentally missed on the map, so I quickly hopped off to have a look.

The Peace Palace, aka Vredespaleis, is the temple of peace and justice. It houses the International Court of Justice and many other institutions related to international law. The building is very grand; it was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. The Peace Palace opened in 1913. They filled the palace with gifts from the nations that attended the 2nd Hague Conference. Oh, how I wish I had more time in this remarkable city to visit more. Next time, I hope to allocate a few more days to visit some attractions.

See the World Peace Flame

Next to the palace and the tram stop was the World Peace Flame. This one was the first-ever World Peace Flame monument built in 2002. Apparently, there are now quite a few, including Snowdonia. I hope to re-climb in 2020, so I will keep an eye out.

Do Some Shopping at The Passage

Shopping in the centre was good. It has many international chain stores and local shops. The city’s oldest indoor shopping centre is in the city. They also know this famous centre as the Shop at De Passage. The Passage is a glass-roofed shopping arcade dating from 1885. This shopping arcade has upscale stores and cafes. It was a pleasure to browse, even though I was not looking to buy anything.

Sightseeing at Het Plein

Het Plein is a square near the Binnenhof, where the States-General of the Netherlands meets. The entrance to the House of Representatives and also the Mauritshuis art museum is in the square. There were also a few bars with outdoor seating, ideal for my first Heineken of the day and a bowl of water for the dog.

The square is photogenic and was pretty quiet while I was there. In the centre of the square is a statue of William the Silent, a.k.a. William of Orange.

William led the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs. This revolt set off the Eighty Years’ War between 1568 and 1648.

See The Noordeinde Palace

Noordeinde Palace is one of the Dutch royal family’s official palaces. They have three. Originally, the palace was a medieval farmhouse that grew into the splendid palace it is today. Architecturally, the palace is classified as Dutch Classicism, and it’s rather attractive.

Sadly, the Noordeinde Palace is not open to the public; however, you can view it from the outside. Alternatively, you can visit the Palace Garden for free. Next to the Palace Garden is the Royal Stables, where they keep the horses and coaches of the Royal House.

Things To Do At Scheveningen Resort in The Hague

Scheveningen is a district of Den Haag in the Netherlands that is a beach resort on the North Sea. My main goal was to have fun on the beach. Scheveningen beach is massive, with smooth sand and plenty to see.

In Scheveningen, I admired the views of the pier, the beach, and the big wheel. The particularly impressive Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus dominated the waterfront. This monumental building was built in 1818. This hotel is special to look at.

Scheveningen Beach Fun

The Dutch seaside resort of Scheveningen has one of the most famous beaches in the province of Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Scheveningen Beach is about 2.7 miles long and averages 110 metres wide.

They say that this beach is the most popular stretch of sand in Holland. The beach is a superb place to walk, swim, surf, or enjoy a meal out with sea views. For visitors who enjoy water sports, this is a great place for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Scheveningen beach also boasts a Blue Flag, the symbol of clean beaches. It has had the Blue Flag for a few years now.

Scheveningen Pier

The Scheveningen Pier is a pleasure pier on the Dutch coast. It opened in 1959. This pier replaced the one lost in World War 2. This pier is 382 metres long and has a few decks. The upper deck has a bungee jumping attraction and a restaurant for visitors to enjoy. This is beside the iconic Ferris Wheel.

Big Wheel – SkyView Pier

Th e beach has a Ferris wheel called SkyView Pier, which is 45 metres tall and looks like great fun. They serve meals on board, or you can have a quick ride to enjoy the view. This dark day seemed the wrong time to hop on, so I earmarked a meal for future trips.

The Ferris wheel is a recent addition to the seafront. It opened in 2016. Many European cities seem to embrace the Ferris wheel trend these days. They are often a great way to see the city from above, and this is no different, offering excellent coastal views.

See The Christmas Lights

If you visit in December, The Hague and Scheveningen both have some nice decorations. The city also hosts a Christmas market with nice stalls and fun activities. We really enjoyed the lights when out walking the dog and when we visited the beach.

Bars & Restaurants in The Hague

While looking for fun things to do, we enjoyed a few bars and restaurants. This includes some seafront bars in Scheveningen and near the Binnenhof palace.

Millers

As it was our first visit to the Netherlands, one thing we wanted to do was try the local version of Heineken. The first bar we tried this at was Millers. Millers is a nice place in Het Plein near the Binnenhof attractions. They have a nice outdoor seating area and a cool indoor area too. They served drinks to the table, and it was a pleasant place to visit.

Pizza Primavera: a Nice Italian Restaurant

After passing the local coffee shop, which didn’t tempt me at all. However, I spotted a cosy-looking Italian restaurant, Pizza Primavera. I kept it simple and enjoyed a beer, Italian wine, and a pizza for the evening meal. I really enjoyed eating here because the food was actually delicious and good value.

Brasserie The Beachroom in Scheveningen

Brasserie The Beachroom overlooks Scheveningen beach in Den Haag. It is a nice place for drinks or food. On our visit, we went for drinks after a walk on the beach and around the pier. We enjoyed a few local craft beers while enjoying the views. The server was lovely, and the beer was good.

Bakery Food

When we left our accommodation, we spotted a petrol station with a fantastic-looking bakery. We grabbed breakfast at the bakery. I enjoyed some raisin bread and a can of Pepsi. The tram took us directly to Den Haag train station, where we booked our train to Frankfurt.

Travel To Den Haag in The Netherlands

For our first Interrail stop on the continent, simplicity was key. We stayed close to where the ferry landed in the Hook of Holland. We had arrived in the Hook of Holland ferry port early in the morning after an overnight crossing.

I had loosely planned to take trains to The Hague. The metro heading towards Rotterdam was at the port exit, so it should be very easy. Upon arrival, the railway station’s design impressed me. It looks rather futuristic.

Is The Hague in the Netherlands Worth Visiting?

The Hague is a fantastic city and is well worth visiting. It has plenty to see and do. We certainly didn’t get bored. The city’s fantastic public transport system made it easy to get to the tourist attractions. The dog had a great time exploring the city, especially enjoying the beach.