Jun 29, 2026
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The Hague’s Hidden Treasures
Discover where Dutch politics, world-class art, and North Sea beaches converge in one captivating destination.
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Love Netherlands
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Dear Netherlands,
There’s a version of the Netherlands that tourists rarely find. It’s in Jordaan on a Saturday morning, where the Noordermarkt smells of fresh bread and old cheese. It’s in Utrecht, where canal-level wharfs have become the most beautiful cafés in Europe. It’s in Delft, where Vermeer’s light still falls across the same brick walls.
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Photo: Binnenhof, The Hague 1899 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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In today’s email:
- The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea
- At The Café — Café De Sluyswacht — The Leaning House Bar by the Lock
- Around The Web — Kinderdijk Windmills: The Complete Visitor Guide, Dutch Surnames of Flevoland: Origins and Meanings, Best Beaches in the Netherlands: A Complete Guide for Visitors + more
- From Love Netherlands — Dutch Surnames of South Holland: Origins and Meanings
- Dutch Food You Will Love — Erwtensoep — The Dutch Winter Soup That Made the Country
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The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea
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The Hague and Scheveningen: Where Power Meets the Sea The seat of Dutch democracy, home to Vermeer’s most beloved painting, and gateway to a sweeping North Sea shore — The Hague rewards every kind of curious traveller. An introduction to The Hague and Scheveningen There is a particular confidence to The Hague. It does not trumpet itself the way Amsterdam does, nor does it carry Rotterdam’s muscular post-war swagger. Instead, this handsome city of wide boulevards and canal-fronted mansions simply gets on with being rather important. It is the seat of the Dutch parliament, the home of the International Court of Justice, and the city where almost every foreign embassy in the Netherlands keeps its address. Diplomats cross the Lange Voorhout on their morning commute; schoolchildren queue outside the Mauritshuis to meet a girl they know only by her earring. Known officially in Dutch as…
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At The Café
Café De Sluyswacht — The Leaning House Bar by the Lock
De Sluyswacht is a tiny lock-keeper’s house from 1695 that visibly tilts to one side, sitting at the edge of the Oudeschans canal. Inside the floors slope, the beams creak, and there’s a small terrace right at the water with one of the most photographed views in Amsterdam — straight down the canal towards the Montelbaanstoren. It’s been a café since the 1990s, but the building itself is one of the oldest wooden houses in the city. Order a Belgian beer, get one of the four outdoor tables, and watch boats negotiate the lock below.
👉 Visit the café
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Around The Web
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From Love Netherlands
South Holland is the most populous province in the Netherlands. It holds Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, and Dordrecht. For centuries, this province sat at the centre of Dutch power and trade. The family names that grew here tell that story. This guide explores the most common Dutch surnames from South Holland , where each name came from, and how far they travelled. The Province That Shaped Dutch History South Holland became the…
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Photo via Love Netherlands
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Dutch Food You Will Love
Erwtensoep — The Dutch Winter Soup That Made the Country
Erwtensoep is a thick, green, nearly-a-stew soup made from split peas, smoked sausage, pork, celery, leek, and patience. The Dutch have a test for whether it’s ready — if your spoon can stand up in the pot, it’s done. It was the food of the canal skaters in winter, the men repairing dikes, the families waiting out a long January. It’s still served in every good café on cold days, with thick rye bread and butter. Order it once on a rainy afternoon and you’ll understand why the Dutch love their winters more than most countries love their summers.
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