The Hague is one of the most popular cities in the Netherlands. Every year, millions of tourists prefer this wonderful place. There are a lot of attractions here, we will talk about the most popular in this article.
Where is the hague located? History and Modernity
The city is located on the shores of the North Sea. It was founded in 1248. It all started with the fact that Count Floris the Fourth decided to build a small house on the site of the modern Hague.
As you know, this city is considered the political capital of the Netherlands. It is worth recalling at least that there are offices of organizations such as the UN International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, as well as the Chamber of Arbitration.
It seems to many people that this wonderful city is not a place for entertainment at all, since the Hague looks too serious. In fact, this is not so. There is simply a huge number of famous attractions, museums, monuments and many more that may interest travelers.
Sometimes tourists say that the city is very empty. There is no huge crowd of people, lines. In this place, everything is quiet and calm. But during the fairs and festivals, The Hague becomes fabulous and fun. Something about this is definitely special and magical.
The funny thing is that absolutely at any time of the year, locals and tourists go to eat closer to the beach, despite the fact that it is very cold in winter. By the way, compared to Amsterdam, there are not many tourists in The Hague.
sights
What to see in the Hague? As mentioned above, in this city there are a lot of attractions. Next, we will try to examine in more detail the most famous monuments and buildings of the city.
Palace of Peace
Let's start with the most famous building of The Hague. The palace was erected at the beginning of the twentieth century with the personal funds of the famous industrialist from the USA E. Carnegie. The idea of creating the Peace Palace appeared due to the fact that conferences and events related to the establishment of peace were constantly held in the city. By the way, this happened on the initiative of Emperor Nicholas II.
In this building, the neo-Renaissance architectural style is traced, and the author of the project is L. Cardonier. The building is made of brick, granite, as well as sandstone.
Inside the building is a museum and library, which contains a lot of legal material. In addition, it is one of the largest in the world.
In addition, the UN International Court of Justice is sitting here.
Knight's Hall
The small mansion, called Riddersaal, is made in the Gothic style. It is part of the Binnenhof architectural complex. Currently used as a venue for royal receptions, as well as inter-parliamentary assemblies.
The name of the building was not given because the knights lived here, but because there is a fairly large knight's hall in which all state events and events are held.
As for the construction, the building was erected during the reign of Floris the Fifth, that is, in the thirteenth century. The hall was built for more than thirty years especially for the counts to show their status.
Miniature Park "Madurodam"
This wonderful park is located in the resort area of Scheveningen. It looks like an absolutely typical Dutch town, but in reduced size. Trains are launched here, alleys are passed, along which people walk. As you can see, everything is very real, but small. This wonderful place is the personal property of ex-Queen Beatrix.
Pier Scheveningen
This pier is located in the same area as the miniature park. Many may think that it is such to get on the list of attractions? This is because it has a very unusual shape. The pier has two levels, on the lower there is a glass gallery, on the upper - an observation deck.
At the other end there are four small islands on which restaurants were built, as well as various shops. In addition, there is an observation tower where you can jump with a bungee.
District Scheveningen
In summer, many citizens and guests gather here. The area is located on the shores of the North Sea, and is popular because it has a wonderful beach with soft sand. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are also available here.
The Scheveningen area has many interesting museums and fishing houses. Also here, wealthy citizens and travelers take salt baths.
Binnenhof
This is a whole complex of buildings in the Gothic style. It includes the residence of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, as well as the parliament building. In addition, it houses the National Museum, historical sites and the Art Gallery.
The construction of the Binnenhof began in the thirteenth century, when Willem II ruled. At the moment, around the entire complex of buildings is an artificial reservoir Hoffeifer, which can be seen in the photo above. It was dug as far back as the thirteenth century.
Nordeinde Palace
This place is currently considered the residence of the royal family. The construction of the wonderful castle began in the sixteenth century, then continued in the seventeenth. The authors of this project are P. Post and J. van Kampen. They usually built in the style of classicism.
The palace became a royal residence in the early nineteenth century, after the liberation of the Netherlands. As for excursions, the townspeople and tourists can only go to the palace garden.
Hayes Ten Bos Palace
It is located in the park of The Hague Bos (the northern part of the city of The Hague). This place is one of the residences of the king of the Netherlands. Once this building was located outside the city.
The building was made in the classical style, earlier here the monarchs constantly preferred to spend time.
In addition, this palace contains paintings by famous Dutch artists.
Old town hall
This building was built in the sixteenth century. It used to be a castle of counts. Now, marriages are registered in the town hall.
During the Netherlands Revolution, a lot of sights and buildings were destroyed in the city, but the town hall miraculously managed to avoid all this. She retained her remarkable architectural appearance. At the end of the nineteenth century it was restored and completed.
Church of St. Jacob
It is a popular attraction of The Hague. This church is considered one of the main Protestant temples of the city. It was built in the eighteenth century. Before its appearance, a wooden church was located at this place.
The external architectural appearance of the structure is not at all characteristic of The Hague, since hexagonal buildings are not built in this city. And so the church looks quite noticeable against the background of other buildings.
The interior of this beautiful building has preserved many ancient details. Among them are the episcopal department, as well as ancient stained glass windows. They were made in the sixteenth century.
Mauritshuis
A small art gallery located on the territory of the palace complex, built in the seventeenth century. As for the paintings, they appeared here only in the nineteenth century. This happened after the building was purchased from a private entrepreneur.
The Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague houses works of art by renowned artists who painted during the Dutch Golden Age.
Mesdah panorama
A majestic painting by Dutch artist H.V. Mesdach and his students at the end of the nineteenth century, which depicts the Scheveningen district in the old days, that is, when it was an ordinary fishing place, and not a popular Dutch resort.
A separate building was built for this picture, since the canvas is quite long - 120 meters. And its height is 14 meters.
Prison gate
This is one of the most popular attractions in The Hague. The gate was built in the fourteenth century. Here, convicted people were awaiting a court decision. Now, in this place is a museum. The building left torture tools, as well as some items that were here during the years of detention.
Citizens and tourists can walk through the museum to feel the atmosphere that prevailed in the past centuries.
Museum on Lange Worhout
The Escher Museum in The Hague is located on Lange Worhout. It was opened at the beginning of the twentieth century, although the building was erected in the eighteenth century and Queen Emma once lived here.
The museum is completely dedicated to one artist - Maurits Escher. He is known for creating interesting woodcuts, as well as metal.
Interesting monuments of the city
There are a lot of monuments in The Hague. It can be said without exaggeration that the most famous among travelers are: a monument to Stalin, as well as the victims of the Khojaly massacre.
The first, although small in size, however, is a real art object. It was designed in the twentieth century by Vitaly Komar, as well as Alexander Melamid. Oddly enough, the monument is located in the famous red light district in The Hague.
The monument to the victims of the Khojaly tragedy is considered the first in Europe to be erected in memory of this terrible event. It was created in early 2008 on the initiative of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Netherlands. In 1992, in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly, Armenian military units staged a real massacre of civilians, resulting in the deaths of several hundred people. It is about this tragedy that the monument in The Hague reminds.
Tours in the Netherlands
There are practically no direct excursions to The Hague from Russia, but many travel agencies organize trips to this city through Amsterdam or Brussels. In addition, you can find interesting private excursions offered by locals.
Typically, tourists are shown the most famous attractions of The Hague. Among them are many of those described above.
Air terminal
The Hague Airport simultaneously serves another city - Rotterdam. It was built in the middle of the twentieth century, and is the third most populated in the whole country. At the same time, it is considered the second national airport terminal built in the Netherlands. It can also be called a landmark of The Hague.
Finally
Now you know not only where the Hague is located, when it was founded, but also have an idea of what sights you can see here.
And the reviews of travelers who have already visited The Hague are the most positive. Despite some severity, the city has many unique places.