The Hague is a beautiful and culturally diverse city, featuring incredible parks, world-class museums, and a lively culinary scene. With monuments and landmarks that span almost 800 years of history, this Dutch city offers a wealth of fascinating and enjoyable activities for visitors to explore and enjoy.
Not sure what interests you? We have compiled a list of some of the best things to do in The Hague so that everyone may have an educational and entertaining day.
1. Enjoy The Artwork at Mauritshuis Museum
Mauritshuis is one of The Hague’s most significant museums. The Mauritshuis’ floors look like they are in the most magnificent private collection one has ever seen. It’s not just a vast, impersonal gallery space. Instead, its lavish interior is just as noteworthy as the artwork it houses.
Mauritshuis is home to one of the most famous paintings in the world. The artist Johannes Vermeer of Delft created “The Girl with the Pearl Earring”. This painting is considered a tronie rather than a portrait, and the identity of the girl remains a mystery.
A notable feature was the construction of a new underground foyer and entrance area. It links the ancient structure to the recently constructed Royal Dutch Shell Wing, which is right across from it and has cutting-edge displays and educational facilities.
2. Go To The Peace Palace
Visiting the Peace Palace is one of the coolest things to do in The Hague. Besides being home to two of the world’s most important courts, the Peace Palace is a globally renowned structure.
It’s widely recognized as a symbol of peace, particularly promoting “peace through law.” The Carnegie Foundation, responsible for the Peace Palace, is dedicated to making sure everyone can visit, regardless of their background or where they come from.
The design of the building’s interior, its rich history, and the important work carried out by its institutions are meant to inspire people around the globe. That’s why a 360-degree tour of the palace is now accessible 24/7.
Next to the entrance of the Peace Palace, you’ll find the Eternal Peace Flame. Engraved on the memorial is the message: “May all beings find peace.” The collection includes only two unique stones: fragments of the Berlin Wall and a stone from Robben Island.
3. Treat Yourself At Van Kleef Distillery
One of the most fascinating places in The Hague to step back in time and taste jenever is Van Kleef. When you’re in the Netherlands, trying genever or jenever is a must. The moment you step inside, it feels like you’ve traveled back in time.
Van Kleef, the last remaining distillery in The Hague, combines museum elements with a tasting area. The exhibitions allow visitors to learn more about the extensive history and distillation process of Genever. The best part is the tasting, where you can sample the distillery’s wide range of liqueurs, vodkas, bitters, and both young and aged genevers.
Whether you’re in The Hague for a short visit or you’re with a companion who enjoys trying different drinks in new places, Van Kleef is always a fantastic stop. It’s just a short walk from the center of The Hague! Except on Mondays, you can visit during the day until 6 p.m. on most days. Weekdays are usually less crowded compared to Sundays, which tend to be busy with tours and tastings.
4. Visit Madurodam Theme Park
The Hague is home to Madurodam, a theme park just a short distance from Amsterdam. It’s a fantastic place to take kids for a fun day out. Madurodam is filled with beautifully crafted miniature models of Dutch buildings, canals, and landmarks.
What makes this theme park special are the little details: tiny trees, people walking the streets, boats gliding along the canals, and trains chugging down the tracks. Madurodam offers an enjoyable experience for both kids and adults.
When you enter, you’ll receive an English pamphlet detailing each landmark and suggesting an itinerary for your visit, all included in the entrance fee. Despite its small appearance, exploring the park typically takes about two hours.
5. Discover Celestial Vault
The Celestial Vault, an intriguing art installation in The Hague, offers visitors a unique perspective on the heavens within a modern landscape mixed with a Druidic stone altar.
Artist James Turrell created the Celestial Vault in 1996 to resemble a large crater.
Visitors enter through a curved tunnel and find themselves in a lush interior with an unusual stone seat at the center. The stone has two identical sloping planes, with a flat top and a small peak.
The idea is for visitors to lie on the slabs with their heads pointing toward the bottom of the slopes, allowing them to view the crater’s edge and the sky above. The curved edge creates the illusion of a domed sky, aligning with the Belgian astronomer’s research on how light affects vision, which inspired this optical illusion.
While vegetation growth and other imperfections have altered the appearance of the crater slopes over time, the stone seat remains in excellent condition, ready for visitors to experience this mind-opening perspective.
6. Have Fun At Scheveningen Beach
In The Hague, Scheveningen offers a kilometer-long beach right in your backyard, making it a stunning destination all year round. Whether you’re soaking up the sun on a lounge chair with a glass of Chardonnay or braving the wind in a sailing jacket, the fresh breeze creates a carefree and joyful holiday atmosphere.
A night out on the beach is perfect, as it combines sun, sea, delicious cuisine, and music! During the summer weekends, Scheveningen comes alive with exciting beach parties at various beach clubs. The Circustheater hosts major musicals by Joop van den Ende and entertaining cabaret performances. And for those feeling lucky, the casino is always a fun option!
7. Expereince Panorma Mesdag
The Hague’s Panorama Mesdag is Europe’s largest circular canvas. This 1881 panorama of Scheveningen at Museum Panorama Mesdag creates a beautiful optical illusion that you can enjoy by rotating 360 degrees around yourself.
The light is impressive and shifts minute by minute, so the perspective is always different. H.W. Mesdag painted the scene of the sea, dunes, and historic fishermen’s village, Scheveningen. Panorama Mesdag is a distinctive cultural and historical landmark.
They were built specifically for the picture—the structure that includes this panorama. In the middle of the structure, there is a man-made dune on a roundabout. Views above the dune will provide visitors with the same perspective as if they were standing on the leveled-off Seinpost dune from 1881, while the canvas hanging around it depicts a wonderfully rendered beach and seaside landscape.
The diameter of the roundabout is 36 meters. The area appears natural because of the concealed skylights on the tent roof. With unique artistic skill, the artwork seamlessly transitions from the artificial dune to the outside world, giving visitors a strong sense of being outside.
The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions—presentations of essential and engaging ideas or contemporary creators’ work. The permanent collection has recently been refurbished to offer further details on the life and contributions of Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife, Sientje Mesdag-van Houten.
8. Visit Escher In Het Paleis
At Het Paleis, a permanent exhibition pays tribute to the renowned artist M.C. Escher, whose works have captivated millions worldwide. The collection is housed in the historic Winter Palace of the Netherlands’ Queen Mother Emma, making it the only open-air structure in The Hague that retains the ambiance of a palace from its era.
At Escher in Het Paleis, visitors can explore a comprehensive display featuring Escher’s most famous pieces alongside a rotating selection of graphic designs and tessellations from his extensive body of work, which includes over 150 prints. The focal points of the exhibition are the seven-meter-long Metamorphosis III and a captivating journey showcasing Escher’s unique merging of time and space into an organic unity.
Famous “impossible” prints like “Day and Night,” in which the Dutch countryside seems to transform into a flock of birds, and “Climbing and Descending,” which shows rows of people continuously climbing and descending a set of stairs, are on display. His imaginative structures are optical illusions that play with perspective; they could never exist in the real world.
The Palace displays his well-known prints and a selection of Escher’s early creations, including stunning Italian landscapes, studies of Moorish mosaics, and strange stilllives. The family photos depict Escher’s private life, while the lithographic stones and wood blocks introduce visitors to his techniques in an approachable way.
9. Explore Noordeinde Palace
One of The Hague’s most attractive commercial avenues, Noordeinde, is home to Noordeinde Palace and its beautifully manicured park. The Royal Stable Department and Noordeinde Palace are open for a few days every summer. Since the palace is King Willem-Alexander’s working residence, it is only sometimes available for private tours.
Due to the building’s small size and regular use as an office and reception area, it is inappropriate to host guests. Therefore, the rare summer opening presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this remarkable structure in the royal city. Watch this page for information about ticket sales.
Het Noordeinde is conveniently reachable by bicycle, tram, and vehicle. There are many parking spaces nearby. Noordeinde is a 15-minute’ walk from Central Station. The Kneuterdijk stop is also home to several trams.
Final Words
The Hague should be on every traveler’s agenda because there are many things to do in Hague Holland, and reasons to come. Only 40 minutes by intercity train from Amsterdam, or less than 30 minutes from Rotterdam, makes it the ideal day trip destination.
