The Hague
Discover The Hague
The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage) is a city in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is the seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and the residence of King Willem-Alexander. It is not the capital city, which is Amsterdam. The municipality (which is the city) has more than 548,000 inhabitants (2021), making it the third largest city in the Netherlands. The Hague lies on the North Sea and is home to Scheveningen, the most popular seaside resort in the Netherlands. Also the smaller resort of Kijkduin is part of the city.
Famous Beaches
Taste of The Hague...
Just as Indian restaurants abound in the UK, the Netherlands has an excellent tradition in Indonesian and colonial Dutch-Indies cuisine. After Indonesia became independent from the Netherlands in 1945, the country received a large number of former colonials from Dutch and mixed descent who had been forced to leave the newly independent colony. The Hague received a relatively large number of these people and is still a centre of the Dutch-Indonesian community. The town has dubbed the area around Gedempte Gracht, Gedempte Burgwal and Wagenstraat as its local Chinatown, and added street signs in Chinese and all that. The area is not particularly spectacular, but good Chinese food is to be found around here. As everywhere in the Netherlands, the possession (of small quantities) and use of cannabis (hash and weed) is tolerated in The Hague. Since Amsterdam draws more coffee-shop tourism, prices are lower in The Hague. Some renowned places: Possessing large quantities of hashish or cannabis is a crime in the Netherlands. Do not take stuff with you when leaving the Netherlands (you can be punished severely in neighbouring countries). It's also unwise to buy for someone else, especially if it's a foreigner as you can be punished in his or her country of origin. Smoking tobacco is banned inside food and drink establishments — even coffeeshops! That being said, tobacco smoking appears to be tolerated in coffee shops, and their rolled joints are often mixed with tobacco.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of The Hague.
Many people move to the Randstad area (including The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam) either for a year out, work (as an Expatriate) or to join partners (who are mostly either Expatriates or Dutch). There are specialist websites for English and non-Dutch speakers looking to work in The Hague (and Randstad area) and a good place to start; Blue Lynx - Employment by Language. Immigration matters are dealt with by the Immigration Service IND. Registration is done by both police and municipalities. Immigration policy is restrictive and deliberately bureaucratic. That is especially true for non-EU citizens. European Union citizens do not require a work permit. Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians are afforded a one year working-holiday visa. In general the employer must apply for work permits. Immigration is easier for "knowledge migrants" earning a gross annual salary of over €45,000 (over €33,000 for those under 30).
Climate
Given its location near the coast, The Hague has slightly milder winters and cooler summers than locations further inland. This also means slightly windier winters and more humid summers, though. The summer months see temperatures averaging around 21 °C (70 °F) during the day and 15 °C (59 °F) at night. On particularly hot days, the temperature can rise above 26 °C (79 °F) and not go below 17 °C (63 °F) at night. Daylight runs from 05:30 until 22:00 in the summer, and only between 08:45 and 16:30 in the winter. The Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is the closest airport to the city. Metro line E connects Den Haag Centraal station with the Meijersplein, a station close to the airport. The airport terminal is connected with the later one by bus line #33 (which continues further up to the Rotterdam Centraal railway station). The Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS), is a bit farther.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is the closest airport to the city. Metro line E connects Den Haag Centraal station with the Meijersplein, a station close to the airport. The airport terminal is connected with the later one by bus line #33 (which continues further up to the Rotterdam Centraal railway station). The Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS), is a bit farther. However, with several direct trains per hour from the railway stations Hollands Spoor and Centraal, and also with an hourly night train from station Hollands Spoor, it is more frequently used by people travelling to and from The Hague by air. The Hague has two main train stations, serving domestic and international routes. Visitors are most likely to use Centraal Station, as it is closer to the centre, tourist attractions and shopping. It also has the best local public transport links via tram and bus, and is also safer at night than Hollands Spoor, which is in a somewhat sketchy area of town....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The Hague has an efficient and frequent city wide system of light rail (called RandstadRail), trams and buses, running mostly on tracks separated from other traffic, allowing for a fairly speedy ride. HTM runs the public transport system in The Hague and some of the surrounding area. Rotterdam-based RET runs a Randstadrail line (Metro Line E) between The Hague and Rotterdam, through various suburbs, though reaching Rotterdam is often times quicker by taking an Intercity train. Veolia provides regional bus services to the areas surrounding The Hague. EBS operates the suburban bus routes. Centraal Station has eight platforms for trams, split across a high level inside of the station and a low level (Rijnstraat) to the south side of the station. These are: Furthermore, buses stop above the railway tracks and how to reach them is indicated through signage. Hollands Spoor has four platforms for trams, located at the front of the station. Buses have a halt at the backside of the station.
Where to Stay
Despite its size and international prominence, The Hague has few hotels. Most of them are geared towards business guests, although there is a fair selection across price ranges. As the Randstad is very well connected with frequent train services, trams and buses, you may also consider accommodation in the neighbouring cities of Delft, Leiden, Zoetermeer, Rijswijk or even Rotterdam. You should take normal precautions against pickpockets and baggage theft, especially in the main shopping streets, in trams and trains, at stations, and anywhere where tourists congregate. Street begging is common around the Hollands Spoor train station and at the Grote Markt. Most of them are homeless and non-aggressive, just give them some money or simple 'no' will be enough. At night, the city centre is quite safe because of the large number of police cameras monitoring this area. Neighbourhoods southwest of the centre are less affluent and may not be as safe.
Money & Budget
The lively and historical centre of The Hague is perfect for a day of shopping. The shopping area around the Spuistraat and Grote Marktstraat is busy seven days a week. You can find the best shopping in The Hague on the side streets that circle out from the city centre. While lots of them are upscale, you can find a few bargain stores dotted here and there. Just as Indian restaurants abound in the UK, the Netherlands has an excellent tradition in Indonesian and colonial Dutch-Indies cuisine. After Indonesia became independent from the Netherlands in 1945, the country received a large number of former colonials from Dutch and mixed descent who had been forced to leave the newly independent colony.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
You should take normal precautions against pickpockets and baggage theft, especially in the main shopping streets, in trams and trains, at stations, and anywhere where tourists congregate. Street begging is common around the Hollands Spoor train station and at the Grote Markt. Most of them are homeless and non-aggressive, just give them some money or simple 'no' will be enough. At night, the city centre is quite safe because of the large number of police cameras monitoring this area. Neighbourhoods southwest of the centre are less affluent and may not be as safe. The area between Zuiderpark and Hollands Spoor has a bad reputation due to the increasing number of street gangs. Schilderswijk and Transvaal areas are blocks that should be avoided after dark. If you are unsure, take a taxi to your destination. Taking a tram is also considered safe, as the so-called 'risky lines' in this area now have a security team on board from 20:00 till 01:00.