The Hague has a lovely way of making a city visit feel easy. There are grand squares and elegant streets, but also little cafés, seaside walks, beautiful parks and places where you can simply sit and enjoy the surroundings. This is our collection of feel-good places in The Hague — the spots we would choose for a beautiful morning, a relaxing afternoon, a good coffee, a wander through pretty streets or an escape to the sea.
The Hague is famous for and often referred to as being the “city of peace and justice” or the “cultural treasure chest“. Furthermore is this the city that is home to the Dutch Royal Family.
However the city has so much to offer for the world traveler. From stunning architecture, to culinary experiences, history, the old and the new, shopping and so much more. The Hague is definitely a destination that deserves its place on your travel bucketlist and it is definitely worth a visit.
The Hague is one of those cities that makes it easy to slow down and enjoy the day. You can walk beside the Hofvijver in the morning, stop for coffee in a pretty square, browse boutiques and galleries around Noordeinde, find a quiet garden behind a royal palace, and later take the tram to Scheveningen for fresh sea air and a walk on the beach. This is our collection of feel-good places in The Hague — beautiful corners, relaxing walks, lovely streets, seaside escapes and places that simply make a visit more enjoyable.
Country: Netherlands
Province: South Holland
Language: Dutch
Currency: Euro (€)
Known for: Royal palaces, art, beautiful streets, government, shopping and the North Sea coast
Beach: Scheveningen
Good for: A relaxed city break, art, cafés, shopping, gardens and the seaside
How long to stay: 2–3 days is a good amount of time for a first visit
The Hague has a wonderful combination that is not always easy to find in a European city. There is an elegant city centre with palaces, museums, pretty avenues and cafés, but the North Sea is close enough for a change of scenery during the same day.
The official tourism organisation describes The Hague as a city of both city life and the seaside, and its green spaces include parks, estates, dunes and beaches. Scheveningen can be reached from the city centre by tram in around 15 minutes.
That means you can have breakfast in the city, spend the afternoon wandering beautiful streets and finish your day beside the sea.
And that, for us, is one of the best reasons to visit The Hague.
The Hague is only a 15 minute train ride from Delft and Leiden. There are two train stations: Centraal and Hollands Spoor Stations.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerly Rotterdam Airport, Vliegveld Zestienhoven in Dutch), (RTM) is an international airport serving Rotterdam and The Hague.
The city offers a huge variety of shopping experiences. From old town cobblestone streets to modern and beautiful shopping centers.
Venestraat and Prinsestraat are favorite shopping streets amongst locals. Prinsestraat is one of the most charming streets and leads to the Palace gardens (Paleistuin), which is free and open to the public. You’ll find lots of green spaces in the city with beautiful gardens to enjoy.
Lange Voorhout Park is where the food festivals are hosted and it is definitely worth a stop when you’re there.
Another place to stop if you love art is the Noordeinde shopping lane with its many art shops and galleries. Noordeinde is a high-end shopping area with lots of boutiques and galleries.
Start with one of the prettiest views in central The Hague.
The Hofvijver is the pond beside the Binnenhof, with the historic buildings of the city reflected in the water and the modern skyline rising behind them. It is an easy place to wander, photograph and simply take in the atmosphere.
You don’t need a long sightseeing plan here. Walk slowly around the water, find a good viewpoint and enjoy the contrast between old and new.
The Hofvijver is also one of the places that helps you understand The Hague at a glance: royal surroundings, historic buildings, water and a modern city all meeting in one view.
A current tip for visitors: At the time of this publication, The Binnenhof is currently undergoing major renovation, so don’t arrive expecting the complex to look or function as it did in the past. The area around the Hofvijver is still a wonderful place to see the historic heart of The Hague.
Behind Noordeinde Palace you will find the Paleistuin, or Palace Garden.
This is exactly the kind of place we look for when travelling: green, peaceful and right in the middle of the city.
The garden is free to enter and offers a welcome break from the streets. Take a walk beneath the trees, sit for a while on the grass or simply use it as a beautiful shortcut between the city and the Noordeinde area.
Noordeinde is one of the prettiest streets to explore in The Hague.
It is associated with Noordeinde Palace and is lined with boutiques, galleries, cafés and places to browse. The royal setting gives the street a particularly elegant atmosphere, but it doesn’t feel like a formal monument. It is a street you can simply enjoy at your own pace.
This is a good place to forget about ticking attractions off a list. Look into the shop windows, wander into a gallery, stop for coffee and continue when you feel like it. Noordeinde is also officially described as one of The Hague’s elegant shopping streets.
If you like beautiful streets, put Lange Voorhout on your list.
The long tree-lined avenue is one of the most attractive places to walk in the centre of The Hague. It is particularly lovely when you don’t have anywhere else you need to be.
This is a good slow travel moment: walk beneath the trees, admire the grand buildings and enjoy the space around you. It is perhaps the most beautiful avenue in the Netherlands.
For a more relaxed shopping experience, wander around the Hofkwartier.
This is the area for small boutiques, galleries, cafés, independent shops and pretty streets rather than large shopping centres.
Prinsestraat is particularly pleasant to explore and connects naturally with the Noordeinde and Palace Garden area. We would highlight Hofkwartier for its boutiques, art, crafts and second-hand shops. This is a good part of The Hague to explore without a plan.
The Passage is one of those places where the surroundings are almost as enjoyable as the shopping.
This historic covered shopping arcade has an elegant glass-roofed interior and is one of the city’s distinctive architectural sights. It gives you a completely different feeling from wandering the open-air streets. Take your time here, especially if the weather isn’t cooperating.
For a proper green escape, head to Clingendael.
The estate lies between The Hague and Wassenaar and is known for its landscaped grounds, mature trees, water features and gardens. The Japanese Garden is particularly atmospheric.
This is one of the places that shows why The Hague is more than a city sightseeing destination. You can move from elegant streets and busy shopping areas into a much quieter landscape. ‘The estate is regarded by the city’s tourism organization as one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands.‘
Good to know: the Japanese Garden has seasonal opening arrangements, so check current opening information before planning your visit.
This is perhaps the biggest feel-good reason to visit The Hague.
Take the tram from the city centre and suddenly you are beside the North Sea.
Scheveningen has a long sandy beach, a lively boulevard, a harbour, restaurants and beach cafés. The atmosphere changes with the weather: sunshine brings terraces and beach life, while a breezy day gives you that wonderful fresh-air feeling that makes a seaside walk so enjoyable.
It’s a place to relax throughout the year, with its long beach, harbour and restaurants. And you don’t have to spend the whole day there. A few hours can be enough.
Walk along the sand. Watch the waves. Have something to eat. Sit facing the sea. Then take the tram back into the city.
The Pier is one of the unmistakable sights of Scheveningen. You can walk out over the North Sea, enjoy the views along the coast and stop for something to eat or drink.
The Pier has developed into a food and entertainment destination, with restaurants, terraces and activities. For the best atmosphere, consider coming later in the day when the light begins to soften.
Some of the best moments in The Hague don’t need a famous attraction attached to them.
Find a café in the city centre, Hofkwartier or one of the neighborhoods around the centre and give yourself time to sit. Coffee, something delicious to eat and somewhere pleasant to watch the world go by can be a very good part of a city break.
The Hague has a strong café and restaurant scene, with lively areas such as Plein and Grote Markt as well as quieter neighborhood options. This is also where I’d resist the temptation to make your itinerary too full. Leave some time for nothing.
The Hague is surprisingly green.
Beyond Clingendael and the Palace Garden, the wider city has parks, wooded areas, dunes and coastal landscapes. The combination of city, greenery and sea is one of the things that makes the destination different from a conventional European city break. If you enjoy walking, this gives you plenty of opportunities to escape the busy streets without leaving the city.
Not every feel-good place has to be outdoors…
The Mauritshuis is a beautiful choice for an art-loving afternoon, particularly if you enjoy Dutch paintings by artists such as Vermeer and Rembrandt. Its setting beside the Hofvijver makes it especially easy to combine with a city walk. You can have your art fix and be back outside beside the water within minutes.
A definite must-see shopping place is The Passage. Dating back to the late 19th century this beautiful enclosed shopping mall with its almost Paris-like style is just jaw-dropping beautiful. In 1885 it was declared a UNESCO monument and today it is still definitely a show stopper. It now also has a new modern addition so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
The peace Palace (Vredespaleis) houses the International Court of Justice. A guided tour is really a good idea.
Mauritshuis – This Royal Picture Gallery features works by Rembrandt, Vermeer & Holbein the Younger.
Grote Kerk – Together with the Binnenhof, it is one of the oldest buildings in The Hague.
Madurodum
Madurodum is a miniature version of the Netherlands and is great fun for the young and old. Take your time to enjoy the park. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in The Hague.
Museums
The Courtyard (Binnehof)
World War II history stops:
You can visit the above places on your own, but going on a guided tour is my favorite option. You really miss out on the information and history behind every place if you go on your own. The guides give you a whole lot of info and this way it is much more fun. I would definitely recommend going on the guided tours. These are the tours we normally book:
If you only have time for a handful of beautiful places, put these on your list:
If ever you get “lost” or need to know something, just ask the locals. They are very friendly and eager to assist.
The city is easy to explore on foot, by bicycle and by tram.
Walking works particularly well around the historic centre, Hofvijver, Noordeinde, Hofkwartier and Lange Voorhout.
The tram becomes especially useful when you want to combine the city centre with Scheveningen. However, cycling and walking is good ways to experience the city’s parks and coastline.
One of our favourite ways to approach The Hague would be to start slowly.
You will have seen some of the city’s most beautiful areas without rushing from attraction to attraction.
After lunch, choose your mood.
The second option gives you one of The Hague’s great pleasures: changing from city to seaside in a surprisingly short time. The tram journey from the centre to the coast takes around 15 minutes.
End the day beside the sea.
Scheveningen is a great option for sunset dining and its seaside atmosphere.
Plaats Square is the hotspot to visit. Here you’ll find many restaurants, bars and cafes in all price ranges.
The Hague Market is the place to shop for cheese (Kaas).
Grote Markt Plaza – has an active nightlife scene and comes alive in the evening with bars and restaurants, which is very popular with both locals and tourists.
Two days gives you enough time to experience the city centre, see several beautiful places and spend some time at Scheveningen.
Three days is better if you want to slow down, visit a museum, explore Clingendael and enjoy more cafés, shopping and seaside time.
For this particular destination, we would choose the slower option.
The Hague is not a city you need to rush through.
May to September is the best time to visit The Hague if you want to enjoy its gardens, outdoor cafés, long walks and beautiful North Sea coastline. The weather is generally mild, and summer brings long daylight hours that make it easy to combine the city centre with an afternoon at Scheveningen. The Netherlands has a temperate maritime climate, so rain is possible at any time of year — pack a light rain jacket and you’ll be ready for the changeable weather.
Spring is a particularly lovely time for a feel-good visit. Flowers appear around the city, the trees begin to blossom and the cafés and beach bars start bringing people outdoors again. Lange Voorhout is especially pretty in spring, while Clingendael and other green spaces come alive.
Best for: flowers, gardens, walking, cafés and a fresh spring atmosphere.
Summer is the best choice if Scheveningen and the beach are high on your list. The days are long, beach bars and terraces are in full swing, and you can enjoy a seaside walk well into the evening. The Hague has around 11 kilometres of coastline, so there is plenty of room to escape the city for a few hours.
Best for: beaches, seaside restaurants, outdoor cafés, cycling and long summer evenings.
September can be a wonderful compromise. You can still have pleasant seaside days, but the atmosphere begins to feel calmer after the busiest summer period. Autumn also brings beautiful colours to places such as Clingendael and Ockenburgh.
Best for: quieter walks, gardens, cafés, photography and a more relaxed city break.
Winter isn’t the obvious choice for a beach holiday, but The Hague can still be enjoyable. The city has museums, cafés, restaurants and atmospheric walks, while the North Sea can look wonderfully dramatic on a windy day. The beaches are open for walking throughout the year, and Scheveningen has a different, quieter personality outside summer.
Best for: cosy cafés, museums, dramatic seaside walks and a quieter city visit.
For the best combination of beautiful gardens, outdoor cafés, pleasant walking weather and the sea, we’d choose May, June or September. You get the essence of The Hague without making your whole trip dependent on having a perfect beach day.
Absolutely — especially if you like beautiful places without needing a packed sightseeing schedule.
The Hague gives you grand avenues, royal surroundings, art, gardens, cafés, independent shops and the North Sea, all within one destination. You can spend a morning exploring elegant streets and an afternoon walking barefoot on the beach.
That combination is hard to beat.