The city of The Hague/Den Haag may not be as big of a tourist attraction as Amsterdam, but it is absolutely worth the visit. It is less than an hour’s train ride away from it’s perhaps more well-known neighbor, and it actually used to be the capital of the Netherlands (now Amsterdam). Despite the adjustment, the government is still situated here. The Hague also became home to the International Court of Justice, or the World’s Court, an entity established by the United Nations in 1945/1946.
I only had a few hours to explore this beautiful city and it was unfortunately too late in the evening to visit any of the local museums. However, my tour guide was a local and we were able to cover a lot of ground during that time!
Luckily for me, the city itself feels like one, giant museum due to its old, gothic style architecture. There is so much history here. The area where Dutch Parliament is located is actually breathtaking.
What to expect
Seeming very quaint and quiet, it has a nice community atmosphere. Although I was unable to take pictures at the end of the day because my phone died, many of the neighborhoods have herb gardens that are available for anyone and everyone to use (but really it’s just the locals because let’s get real, tourists don’t cook!). For example, let’s say you’re cooking dinner and need some basil, but you don’t have any fresh herbs. Pop outside for a quick stroll and grab a couple leaves of basil from the community garden!
The people are respectful and do not take anything more than what they need so everyone can enjoy the benefits. It truly is a beautiful thing. Why doesn’t this sort of thing exist everywhere?
I also noticed that people never seem to be around. The city is open, there are courtyards every few blocks, and the streets are massive, but most of the city was empty everywhere I went which made it veryyyy quiet. Maybe it’s as simple as this place just isn’t much of a tourist attraction, but it totally could be.
It feels like more of a professional, business oriented city. A few restaurant patio areas were packed with the after-work happy hour crowds, still dressed up in their business attire. The only other areas that were crowded with people were the areas surrounding the public transportation system and shopping areas. Bicycles are a very common method of getting around, but there are still plenty of cars running through the streets.
These are just a handful of the beautiful things you can experience here. I think this is a wonderful contrast in atmosphere to the more commonly traveled and hectic city of Amsterdam. The Hague is a fantastic place to find a nice bench by the water, crack open a great book, relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.
To top it off, The Hague has the same laws on marijuana as Amsterdam, so you can enjoy those benefits in a much less populated environment.
Don’t forget to order some fries and shop for a lot of chocolate here. Because YUM!
For those of you who have visited, what is something you highly recommend checking out in Den Haag?
(this post was last edited and updated on January 30, 2024)
Laura the explora: the blog 
Leave a comment