Located by the North Sea, The Hague (or Den Haag, as it is in Dutch) is the seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and also the King’s residence. It’s the place that I’ve visited the most since I moved to the Netherlands, whenever there were paperwork issues to solve at the embassy. Because of this, and because of its fame as a judicious city, I always thought of The Hague as a very serious city, and a less fun place to visit as a tourist. It took a few years until I went as a tourist, visiting the city and its attractions, and I’m glad I finally did. It turns out the city is not really a fun one after all, but it is beautiful and has a lot to offer to its visitors.

The city has quite a different feel to Amsterdam or the other typical Dutch cities: there are almost no canals, replaced instead with wider streets. The architecture is different, more inclined towards a baroque or classic style. There are some great museums and historic buildings and the shopping area is very attractive. One of the great features of the city is the very popular seaside resort, Scheveningen, right next door. The beach is very large and beautiful, worth a visit even outside the season (that’s a bit of a joke — there aren’t many beach days during the Dutch summer anyway).

Getting around on foot is a good option (especially if you plan to stay in the city centre), but there are some points of interest which will require public transport, or bikes. I really enjoyed my day-trip to The Hague. I like to let myself get lost in the small streets in the centre, to do some shopping on the crowded shopping district, to visit a flea market and then rest a bit at one of the lovely outdoor cafés.

If you’re thinking of visiting, here are some of the best attractions of The Hague (there are more, of course, but I’ll let you discover the other ones):

• Gemeentemuseum  and Museon
• Mauritshuis – where the famous Vermeer’s painting: Girl with a Pearl Earring can be seen
• Escher museum
• The Binnenhof (Inner Court)– I absolutely loved the area around it, with the small lakes and both chambers of Parliament
• Peace Palace (Vredespaleis)
• Madurodam

Now, as usual, the virtual photo walk: