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Netherlands,
The Hague
The Hague: -
The Hague (Den Haag, officially known as 's-Gravenhage) is a cosmopolitan city which has over 60 foreign embassies and is the seat of the International Court of Justice, as well as being the capital of the province of Zuid-Holland. Although The Hague is the seat of government of The Netherlands, it is not the country's capital. The central part of the Old Town is the Binnenhof, an irregular group of buildings surrounding an open space. The seaside resort of Scheveningen (which has the country's only pier) is a nearby suburb.
SIGHTSEEING: The following is a selection of some of the most popular sights:
Madurodam Miniature Town: Haringkade 175. Opening hours: 0900-2300 Monday to Sunday (March to May); 0900-2300 (June to August); 0900-2130 (September); 0900-1800 (October to January) (illuminated after dark).
Panorama Mesdag: Zeestraat 65B. Largest panoramic circular painting in the world, created by the artist Mesdag and others, famous for its perfect optical illusion. Opening hours: 1000-1700 Monday to Saturday, 1200-1700 Sunday and holidays (closed December 25).
Antique Walk: VVV route including most of the 150 antique shops in The Hague - the detailed description and map are printed on the back of a reproduction 1614 print and are available from VVV information offices.
Parliament Buildings and Knight's Hall: 13th-century buildings with regular tours and slide shows explaining the history of the Binnenhof. Opening hours: 1000-1600 Monday to Saturday (last guided tour 1545).
Royal Cabinet of Paintings: In the Mauritshuis at Korte Vijverberg 8. Collection includes the Anatomical Lesson of Dr Tulp by Rembrandt, and other 17th-century Dutch works. Opening hours: 1000-1700 Tuesday to Saturday, 1100-1700 Sunday and holidays (closed on Mondays, January 1 and December 25; closed one hour earlier at 1600 on December 5 and December 31).
Other interesting places to visit include the Gemeentemusem (recently renovated municipal museum housing an interesting collection of modern art as well as interactive displays illustrating a wide range of subjects), the Puppet Museum, the antique market at the Lange Voorhout, the Duinoord district built in the style of old Dutch architecture, the Haagse Bos wooded park, the 17th-century Nieuwe Kerk and the Royal Library.
ZUID-HOLLAND: 22km (14 miles) southeast of Rotterdam and about 45km (28 miles) southeast of The Hague is Kinderdijk, near Alblasserdam, a good place to see windmills. They can be visited during the week. Delft, centre of the Dutch pottery industry and world famous for its blue hand-painted ceramics, is roughly midway between Rotterdam and The Hague. Gouda, 20km (12 miles) southeast of Rotterdam, is famous for its cheese market and the Candlelight Festival in December. The town centre is dominated by the massive late-Gothic Town Hall. Nearby is the pretty old town of Oudewater, noted for its beautiful 17th-century, gabled houses. 12km (7 miles) northwest of Gouda is the town of Boskoop, renowned for its fruit trees; a visit during the blossom season is a delightful experience. Dordrecht, 15km (9 miles) southeast of Rotterdam and about 37km (23 miles) southeast of The Hague, was an important port until a flood in 1421 reduced the economic importance of the town. The museum in the city has a good collection of paintings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, while the most striking building is probably the Grote Kerk, begun in about 1305. Leiden (20km/12 miles northeast of The Hague, 40km/25 miles north of Rotterdam), the birthplace of Rembrandt, was a famous weaving town during the Middle Ages, and played a large part in the wars of independence against Spain in the 16th century. The university was founded by William the Silent in 1575 in return for the city's loyalty. The Pilgrim Fathers lived here for ten years (1610-1620) and The Pilgrim Fathers' Documentation Centre in Boisotkade (Vliet 45) has many artefacts, records and paintings dating from the period of their stay in the city.
There are many beach resorts in this region of the country. Some of the major ones include Scheveningen, Katwijk aan Zee, Noordwijk aan Zee, Monster, 's-Gravenzande, Wassenaar and Ter Heijde.
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