We have asked expats and locals what their favourite places to visit, shops and things to do in The Hague are, and have collected these hot spots in the following categories:
The Beach
"One of my favourite places is the beach pavilion Culpepper. It is a great beach experience for couples - though not ideal for children. Comfortable with its cushioned 'parasolled' sofas on the beach and terrace, and should the weather change or on cooler days, in its elegant interior, which even boasts crystal chandeliers. You can enjoy a simple lunch or a tasty evening meal. Or simply relax with a good cup of coffee or glass of wine while watching the sunset. Culpepper raises the beach experience quite a few notches."
"The dunes in Wassenaar are the perfect place for me to run or walk. Everyday it changes colour and smells. When it is early morning or late at night, I meet with so many animals: wild horses, deers and stags (quite scary in a sense), rabbits and foxes… It is fantastic and gives me so much strength! It is very beautiful and can be magical when the mist is all around…"
"Go to the Fuutlaan: Easy parking, nice walks through the dunes and end on the quiet beach café De Kwartel and De Fuut (Jazz on Sunday evenings)."
"Kijkduin beach, it is much more quiet than Scheveningen"
"If you don't want to go the Het Strand by the pier and spend a fortune, go to Strand 12 at the bottom side of the harbour; only 2 beach bars, so it is still possible to get food and ice creams and toilets, but no gimmicky trampolines etc for kids to keep asking about. And there is free all day parking on Houtrustweg (at the bottom side of Dr Lelykade."
"Strandpaviljoen Sport, Wassenaar beach. Turn left as you hit the beach. Owners are lovely and the kids can play on the beach in front of you."
Cafés and Restaurants
"Boerderij Meijendel, Wassenaar. A pancake farm in a picturesque environment (in the dunes). Good for some drinks after a walk but also for parties. A beautiful terrace in the summer."
"El Sombrero, Nieuwstraat. Great Mexican restaurant."
"Grand Café Twitter. A nice café/restaurant in the Haagse Bluf with a wonderful roof terrace."
"I love The Harbour Club in Scheveningen - lovely food, service and ambiance over viewing the harbour. And Restaurant Oker, Denneweg - an entire meal of starters, yummy and unusual combination of taste."
"High tea at Lapsang or at Hotel des Indes. Lapsang is somewhat better priced than Hotel des Indes, and a bit more informal. The high tea at Hotel des Indes however is also worth the money - make sure to put on a pretty dress :)"
"Oude Mol, Oude Molenstraat. Nice, cosy little Dutch bar."
"Oude Molenstraat is a gorgeous street with really nice restaurants and bars. Lovely on a warm Saturday night for drinks on the street."
"I recommend Pastanini on Frederikstraat and Frederik Hendriklaan. Great freshly made Italian food for lunch or dinner."
"Poteen Still Irish Pub. Live music (often), friendly people, pool table, live sport coverage."
"Japanese Set Genki Tei. They have the best chicken teriyaki my girls have ever had."
"Surfdorp F.A.S.T., Scheveningen. Very down to earth, hippyish place close to the beach, often with live music outside during the day and dances at the weekends. Cheap beer and not to bad cheapish food."
"Taverne De Resident on Denneweg for ribs"
"Y Mucho Mas. Great Spanish restaurant with a beautiful décor."
"Very Italian Pizza, a nice little pizza place just to call into when you are in town."
"De Waterkant near Westbroekpark. Tiny café in a garden on the edge of the water - you can rent a small rowing boat and row around the park or just have a glass of wine in the sunshine. Only open in the summer between 30April (Koninginnedag) and third Thursday of September (Prinsjesdag). If you are in the area I would also recommend Westbroekpark's Rose Garden."
Cruising the canals
"Discover The Hague by boat. The Ooievaart and the Williamsvaart have tours in English. A guide, bitterballen & wine and a slow boat take you back in time on a one-hour canal tour in the centre of The Hague."
Cycling
"Cycling through the dunes to Wassenaar/Katwijk. Start at Pomstationsweg, Scheveningen."
"Cycling route network, the Hague region. A system of numbered signposts throughout The Hague region. Plan your cycling route via Internet at home in advance and just follow the numbers. "
Events
"Don't leave town in June, great music festivals on."
"The Alkmaar Cheese Market - as well as Alkmaar it self - is well worth a visit."
"The Bloemencorso Flower Parade in April is ok, but we liked going to see the floats being built in the warehouses the 3-4 days before. My kids and the grandparents were fascinated with the work that goes into them. It is just a few euros to get in to see it."
"BorderKitchen has some great literary speakers about once a month, usually in the Theater aan het Spui."
"www.circusweb.nl, click Agenda. Always a circus with or without animals in this region."
"The Decorative and Fine Arts Society, their art lectures - just GREAT!"
"The Flower auction in Aalsmeer is interesting. It is the biggest flower market in the world, but is only open from 7:00 - 11:00 Monday - Friday. It is enoumous and so many flowers, electronic Dutch auctions (where the price goes down, not up) and the logistics to keep it all running smoothly is interesting."
"International Film Festival Rotterdam and Leids Film Festival (Leiden)."
"Horse drawn carriage rides around The Hague. I have now done this 3 times and it was fantastic every time. Mr. Hanemaaijer or his son will tell you interesting facts during the tour."
"Jazz in the Gracht, jazz musicians on barges floating down the canals - highly recommend Restaurant M's terrace."
"Noordeinde Art Days, street closed down and the city's finest art galleries, bookshops, antique dealers, restaurants and couture on display for three days."
"Prinsjesdag! Wave back to the queen in her golden carriage. Third Tuesday in September from 11:00 hrs onwards."
"No tourism would be complete without Randy's Red-light District tour. A safe way to gawp at all that Amsterdam has to offer by night and a really hilarious time!"
"Saturday morning market in Leiden. Now that made us feel like we were in Europe! Having lunch on the canal boat at Einstein's and then stretch out the day by touring De Valk windmill and climb right to the top of the working museum and mill for a uniquely Dutch experience. "
Museums
"Escher in het Paleis is one not to miss. It is also good for children as the top floor in interactive."
"Duijvenvoorde Castle in Voorschoten. Open to the public on weekends with bilingual tours. Also the perfect place to get married."
"Louwman Museum. Car museum in Wassenaar, interesting even for non-car enthusiats."
"Mauritshuis, because it is small but has a powerful collection"
"Buy a Museumkaart - it pays for itself after about 3-4 visits and is good throughout the Netherlands for a year."
"Museon, great for kids and adults."
"Museum Beelden aan Zee and Panorama Mesdag are my favourites. Though I will also have to mention the Gemeente Museum Den Haag and Foto Museum den Haag followed by a lunch/dinner at Brasserie Berlage on their beautiful terrace."
"I love the wonderkamers in the basement of the Gemeente Museum Den Haag. It is filled with interactive displays and exhibitions, which are just perfect for children eager to do something funny in a museum."
"Zaanse Schans near Amsterdam. Clog making demonstrations, windmills, cheese making. Touristy but I like it."
Parks
"Clingendael, a beautiful park with nice buildings as well. Dogs are allowed to run freely on the one side of a canal and on the other side an explosion of colours and a forest of English roseum awaits you. Also home to the Japanese garden, which only is open 6 weeks in May/June and 2 weeks in October."
"Best park for walking, running, picnics and a full day of kids playing outside: De Horsten, between Wassenaar and Voorschoten. A day ticket costs 1€! You can get a family card for 16€, which gives access for the whole family for one full year. We love it there. There are walking/running trails of 1, 4, and 7.5 km, and a huge field perfect for picnics and playing. You can see deer, pheasants, rabbits and lots of birds too."
Japanese Watergarden in Naalwijk. Glasshouse indoor garden with teahouse, koi fish pond, and lush flowering trees."
"Westbroekpark! Lovely Park with large rosarium and a playground. In the summer home of the Parade festival! Rent a boat and have tea at the canal."
Shopping
"Antique market from mid May until end September at Lange Voorhout, Sundays until 17:00 with a French ambiance; instant bistros with wine and baguettes."
"De Fred - Frederik Hendriklaan. Nice shops."
"Haagse Markt. Largest outdoor market in Europe with African, Caribbean and Asian smells and falavours."
"Sign up for The Guest Card so you can get a Sligro card. We Americans do love our COSTCO and Sam's Clubs and Sligro is pretty close!"
"A little luxury - the House of Caviar & Fine Food. All my favourite things in one place: champagne, caviar, chocolate, wine and art - add in fact they have room for private dining and I'm speechless :)"
"Shopping on Van Hoytemastraat and Van Hoytemaplein for food and clothes. And the best little café in the area, Passie, just off the Van Hoytemastraat. And the fish shop too! All wow - a bit expensive but amazing food and quality!"
"For the ones who need to decorate their houses, I can highly recommend Juffrouw Bentinck, Statenkwartier."
"Kado om de Hoek for Dutch design products and quirky gifts in general."
"Kelly's Expat Shopping on Piet Heinstraat. Lovely owners and a taste of home. Now also a shop in Wassenar."
"Cash and carry indoor furniture and accessories LEEF at Binckhorstlaan 120. Thousands of square meters of interior decorating for wholesale prices. Open Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 - 17:00."
"Leidsenhage shopping centre, there is a great big action shop which is very cheap and always busy because the Dutch love a bargain."
"Organic market on Wednesdays just off Spui close to the side entrance to Passage near VVV and the Binnenhof - faboulous for wild mushrooms, bread, cheese, oils, meats and veggies. A real gem!"
"For computer equipment and great service: Paradigit, Lange Poten."
"Go to the Schilderswijk for a nice exotic atmosphere at the big market with fresh food. Many handy shops with good service. Have a coffee at the café in the corner building."
