The Netherlands city has that quintessentially Dutch quality – it's all so very, very chilled – and a lot more besides, writes Adrienne Cullen
AMSTERDAM or The Hague? Well, if you’re looking for commercial sex, drugs, takeaways and crowds, head for Amsterdam. For a sophisticated European city with a relaxed and grown-up feel, leave the dope-smoking teenagers behind and head for The Hague.
Everyone, it seems, has a mistaken impression of The Hague. Mass tourism ignores it because it’s the Netherlands’ seat of government and so it must be dull. Dutch people who don’t live here claim it’s a five-day wonder and that it empties out at weekends. Neither – happily – could be further from the truth.
The Hague is a physically impressive city with a dramatic mix of old and new architecture. And while it is the administrative capital and home to international institutions such as the War Crimes Tribunal, it’s also home to scores of embassies and NGOs and an impressive gaggle of attendant lobbyists, lawyers and journalists.
A mix like that is guaranteed to include packed bars, expensive restaurants, high-end boutiques, chic art galleries, cultural soirees, and after-hours intrigue; and The Hague doesn’t disappoint. Yes, it has all that, and it has that quintessentially Dutch quality as well – it’s all so very, very chilled.
The Hague – known in Dutch as Den Haag, or more correctly ’s-Gravenhage – is the kind of city that grows on you. As it happens, I’ve lived three train stops from the centre for about four months now, so I’m still savouring the detail like a tourist.
As my growing collection of guidebooks will tell you, The Hague is known as the International City of Peace and Justice. After New York, it’s the second city of the United Nations. And Queen Beatrix has her “working” office at Noordeinde Palace, so royal comings and goings are part of the scene.
THE BEST WAY to see The Hague is to walk or cycle because the centre is pretty compact. And the best place to start is the Binnenhof or Inner Court, a collection of medieval buildings around a central courtyard, which now contains the Houses of Parliament and government offices.
The magnificent Ridderzaal or Knights’ Hall is at the east end of the Binnenhof, and it’s here that the queen delivers her annual speech to the opening of parliament. Look out for the beautiful rose window with the coats of arms of the Dutch noble families.
Conveniently next door is the Mauritshuis, which houses the jaw-dropping royal picture collection. There are works by Rembrandt, Vermeer – including Girl With a Pearl Earring– Pieter Paul Rubens, Pieter Brueghel and Frans Hals, to name but a handful. Art lovers will be in heaven.
And just a few hundred metres away there's more. The Escher Museum is a permanent exhibition of the works of graphic artist, M C Escher, most popularly known for his Drawing Hands(1948).
Cafe life centres around three main squares: the Buitenhof or Outer Court, located just outside the Binnenhof parliamentary complex; the sprawling Grote Markt, always strewn with tables and chairs; and the Plein, surrounded by government departments and several large sidewalk cafes. Given the city, Dutch people go politician spotting. But unless it’s Geert Wilders, they won’t mean much to the rest of us.
THE HAGUE is a shoppers’ paradise, full of narrow pedestrian streets crammed with quality shops. Best-known is De Passage (pronounced as in the French), the first shopping centre in the Netherlands, built in 1882, with beautiful stone facades and high vaulted glass ceilings.
Here you’ll find Restaurant Deluca, the ideal place for a relaxed latte mid-morning – or a restorative glass of Prosecco late in the afternoon.
By now it’s time to plan the evening. Perhaps throw on the glad rags and visit the Lucent Danstheater on Spuiplein, which has a packed programme of music of every kind, from opera to jazz to tango.
Follow that with a late supper at Michelin-starred, Restaurant Calla’s, which specialises in classic French cuisine. The Netherlands is not known for its gastronomy, so when in The Hague do as the Dutch do – eat French, or Greek, or Indian!
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go in The Hague
Five places to stay
1. Hotel Des Indes. 54-56 Lange Voorhout, 00-31-70-3612345, desindes.nl. This five-star hotel, located in the same street as many of the embassies, is the place to stay in The Hague. An opulent interior, superb service and legendary high tea. Doubles from €175.
2. Carlton Ambassador Hotel. 2 Sophialaan, 00-31-70-3630363, carlton.nl/ambassador. This four-star is located in the Mesdagkwartier, a green area on the edge of the centre. Apart from the dining room, it has a good bistro, and allegedly the best collection of whiskeys in The Hague. Doubles from €109 a night.
3. Paleis Hotel. 26 Molenstraat, 00-31-70-3624621, paleishotel.nl. Location is everything, and the Paleis is located right been Noordeinde Palace and the seat of government, the Binnenhof. Doubles from €125.
4. MAFF apartments. 186 Wagenstraat, 00-31-70-3892525, maff.nl. For those who like a little more independence, the MAFF apartments and studios are stylish, well kitted-out, and centrally located, with free parking and Wi-Fi. Central station is just five minutes’ walk. Rates from €125 a night.
5. Hotel Wahdo. 127 Wagenstraat, 00-31-70-3626011, wahdohotel.nl. Here’s something different: the first Chinese hotel in The Hague, decorated throughout in traditional Chinese style. It’s located in Chinatown, which is right in the centre of the city. Doubles start from €99.
Five places to eat
1. Restaurant Calla’s. 51a Laan van Roos en Doorn, 00-31-70-3455866, restaurantcallas.nl. More to do with the Netherlands’ strange relationship with apostrophes than with Maria Callas, this Michelin-starred restaurant is the culinary highlight of The Hague. Classic French cuisine with celebrity chef, Marcel van der Kleijn. Splash out.
2. Seinpost. 60 Zeekant, 00-31-70-3555250, seinpost.nl. Another Michelin-starred restaurant, this time on the sea side of The Hague at Scheveningen. Chef Gert-Jan Cieremans specialises in seafood, offering excellent value – with a pre-theatre three-course menu for just €35. Worth flying out for.
3. Restaurant Le Cirque. 50 Circusplein, 00-31-70-4167676, restaurantlecirque.com. Yet a third Michelin-starred restaurant, run by chef-patron, Robert Kranenborg.
4.Saur. 51 Lange Voorhout, 00-31-70-3617070, saur.nl. Voted restaurant of the year by readers of the local newspaper, Haagsche Courant, in 2001, Saur was relaunched with a more contemporary feel in 2008. French-influenced menu, nice surroundings and good central location.
5. De Wankele Tafel. 79 Mauritskade, 00-31-70-3643267, wankeletafel.nl.nu. This is the vegetarian option, and a good reputation it’s had too for more than 20 years, with a loyal local following. You’ll find the menu online, and the filled wholegrain pancake is particularly popular.
Five places to go
1. The Binnenhof. 8a Binnenhof, 00-31-70-3646144, binnenhofbezoek.nl. This complex of medieval buildings in the heart of The Hague houses the Dutch parliament and the magnificent chamber where the queen formally addresses both houses each year. The atmospheric Ridderzaal or Knights’ Hall dates to the 13th century.
2. The Mauritshuis. 8 Korte Vijverberg, 00-31-70-3023456, mauritshuis.nl. Go here if only to see the real Girl With A Pearl Earringby Johannes Vermeer. You'll be utterly bowled over by this royal art collection, which includes Rembrandt, Pieter Paul Rubens, Frans Hals, Pieter Brueghel and many others.
3. Madurodam. 1 George Maduroplein, 00-31-70-4162400, madurodam.nl. This is one of the Netherlands’ biggest tourist attractions, a tiny model of Dutch life on a scale of 1:25. You’ll see the parliament buildings of The Hague, the canal houses of Amsterdam, tulip fields, cheese markets and much more. The kids will love it too.
4. The Peace Palace. 2 Carnegieplein, 00-31-70-3024242, vredespaleis.nl. Home to the International Court of Justice, The Hague Academy of International Law and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Peace Palace is one of the most photographed buildings in the city. The gardens were designed by English landscape architect, Thomas Mawson. Palace and gardens are open to the public.
5. Panorama Mesdag. 65 Zeestraat, 00-31-70-3644544, panorama-mesdag.com. Certainly the most extraordinary experience of your visit to The Hague, the Panorama Mesdag is a cylindrical painting 14m high and 120m in circumference, painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag in 1881. It’s a remarkable 360-degree wrap-around, described by Vincent Van Gogh as “the most beautiful sensation of my life”.
Hot spot
Feestclub Mad. 6 Dagelijkse Groenmarkt, 00-31-70-4273580, clubmadness.nl. If you want hot, you can have hot (or anything else in the Netherlands!) Variously described as “futuristic” and a mixture of culture and kitch, it’s certainly fun. Prides itself on its cutting-edge DJs.
Shop spot
Given its well-heeled international residents, it’s not surprising that the centre of Den Haag is well-stocked with brand name boutiques. De Passage, the oldest shopping arcade in the Netherlands dating to 1882, is the place to start. Then there’s the wonderfully-named Haagsche Bluf centre, with Lacoste, Timberland and La Cochinelle among others. Then there’s the De Bijenkorf department store . . .
Coffee break
Restaurant Deluca. 3-7 De Passage, 00-31-70-3642349, de-luca.nl. Perfectly positioned just inside the glamorous 19th-century shopping centre, De Passage, DeLuca serves excellent coffee, fresh croissants and appel gebak or apple pie.
What to avoid
Saus. In the Netherlands, everything comes with a sauce, pronounced sowz. Most of them are truly awful and spoil any meal. Watch out or you’ll get cold, gloopy orange-coloured saus on a plate of otherwise acceptable warm food. There are dozens of different “flavours”. Avoid them all.
A good night out
Lucent Danstheater. 150 Spuiplein, 00-31-70-8800333, ldt.nl. Home to the contemporary dance troupe, Netherlands Dance Theater, the Lucent is a centre of endless creativity. At the time of writing, there’s Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Stravinsky in The Hague, an evening of Flamenco, and lots more. Click on “informatie” on the website to find the invaluable “programme in English”.
Get in the mood
Put your feet up with a copy of The UnDutchablesby Colin White and Laurie Boucke, a hilarious faux-sociological look at the foibles of the no-nonsense Dutch nation.
More information
The website of the gemeente or local authority is denhaag.nl or denhaag.nl/en.htm for the English version. It may not be the prettiest in the world, but it’s informative. Combine it with the-hague.info/tourist and you’ll find everything you need.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin and Cork to Schipol Airport, which has six direct trains an hour to The Hague, with a journey time of 30 to 40 minutes. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Eindhoven, which has two direct trains an hour to The Hague, with a journey time of an hour and a half.