The Hague and Scheveningen: Sea, Art and the Seat of Power
Where Dutch democracy meets Golden Age masterpieces and the grand sweep of the North Sea coast
An introduction to The Hague and Scheveningen
There is something quietly remarkable about The Hague. It is not the Netherlands’ constitutional capital — that honour belongs to Amsterdam — yet it is where the country is actually governed, where international justice is administered, and where some of the world’s most celebrated paintings hang in a modest 17th-century mansion on the edge of a pond. The Dutch have a word for this kind of understated excellence: gezellig — convivial, warm, quietly perfect. Den Haag, as the locals call it, embodies it completely.
The city takes its name from des Graven Hage, meaning “the Count’s Hedge” — a reference to the hunting grounds of the medieval Counts of Holland who built a small castle here in the 13th century. That castle became the Binnenhof, still the working heart of Dutch parliamentary democracy eight centuries later. Around it grew a city of grand tree-lined boulevards, elegant townhouses, and international institutions that have shaped the world’s understanding of peace and justice. Today The Hague is home to the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and more than 160 international organisations. It is, in its own quietly confident way, the legal capital of the world.
Yet The Hague is also wonderfully liveable, and its pleasures are thoroughly human-scaled. You can spend a morning standing in front of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring in the Mauritshuis and the afternoon eating fresh herring on the promenade at Scheveningen, the city’s beloved North Sea beach district just four kilometres away. The journey between them takes fifteen minutes by tram, and the contrast — from gilded 17th-century interiors to bracing sea air and the crash of Atlantic waves — is one of the most satisfying half-days you can spend anywhere in northern Europe.
Scheveningen itself rewards far longer than an afternoon. One of The Hague’s eight districts, it has been a fashionable seaside resort since the 19th century, when the grand Kurhaus Hotel opened on its promenade in 1885 and Dutch aristocracy arrived by carriage to take the sea air. The beach is long, wide, and lively with beach clubs and seafood stalls. The pier stretches out into the grey-green North Sea. And behind the dunes, the elegant streets of the Statenkwartier neighbourhood offer some of the best café-going in the city. Come for a weekend and you will find yourself wondering why this place is not already on every traveller’s list.
In this email
- The Mauritshuis: a Golden Age gem on the Hofvijver
- The Binnenhof: eight centuries of Dutch democracy
- The Peace Palace: the world’s courtroom
- Escher in Het Paleis: impossible worlds made real
- Scheveningen: sea air, sand and a grand promenade
- Madurodam and the Statenkwartier: miniature wonders and neighbourhood charm
Best time to visit: June to August brings the warmest weather and Scheveningen truly comes alive, with beach clubs in full swing and the long evenings golden. May and September offer fewer crowds and still-pleasant temperatures — ideal for museum-hopping and cycling. Winter has its own austere appeal: the Kurhaus looks magnificent against a stormy North Sea sky, and the city’s extraordinary indoor attractions are never better appreciated than on a raw February afternoon.
Travel logistics: The Hague has two main railway stations — Den Haag Centraal and Den Haag HS — with fast Intercity trains from Amsterdam (approximately 50 minutes), Rotterdam (25 minutes), and Utrecht (40 minutes). The city’s tram network, operated by HTM, is excellent: Tram 1 and Tram 9 run directly from the city centre to Scheveningen. A day ticket for unlimited travel costs around €5. The Hague is flat and very cycle-friendly; OV-fiets rental bikes are available at both main stations.
Continue reading with a Premium subscription
This is a Love Netherlands Sunday Premium guide. Premium subscribers receive the full article in their inbox every Sunday and unlock the full archive of past editions.
Become a Premium subscriber →Tours & experiences you might love
Powered by Viator. Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.