Ten Reasons To Get To The Hague

By Author: David Villa
Total Articles: 26
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In many ways The Hague is the second capital of the Netherlands. Find out why this city has all it takes to become number one. Ten reasons!

Easily reached
Den Haag, or The Hague, has almost 500.000 inhabitants and is one of the more lively cities in the Netherlands. Lots of students live here, and this is the place where Dutch politics take place. All trains know how to find The Hague, but also cars and buses find their way smoothly right into the heart of town. The Hague is also an excellent hub for those who like the beach: Scheveningen and it's famous boulevard are near by.

Political Capital
The Hague holds the political heart of the country. Apart from the palace where the Queen lives, the government is seated here and all the ministries are found in the centre of town. You can actually visit the place where the government meets and rules the country, or tries to. You can visit the so called Tweede Kamer en it's not uncommon to walk into political figures in the Binnenhof. Another interesting building is the Vredespaleis (the Peace Palace) where the International Court of Justice is seated.

Life's ...
... a beach
Take a tram from the centre and within a few minutes you're standing right opposite the North Sea. The boulevard of Scheveningen and its many bars, casino's and clubs is famous all over the country. In the summer it's hard to get a good spot in thew sand, because this beach is the place to be. Those who want to can go for a refreshing swim and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing. Nice food, nice drinks and good campany: who doesn't like the beach?

Gastronomic giant
Den Haag is known as the culinary capital of the Netherlands. One of the main reasons is the Indonesian cuisine, the second national cuisine in the country. The oldest Indo restaurants of the Netherlands are found in Den Haag.
Of course there's lots of other choices: Mexican, French, Chinesejust make sure -if you're not a vegetarian- you try a meatball at Dungelmann. Founded in 1861, this place is famous for offering the best meatballs (and kroketten for that matter) of the entire country. Make sure you visit the Bierkade, which is also known as Avenue Culinaire because of its many restaurants located in the old canal houses.

Cultural highlights
With a lot of museums and exhibitions, The Hague leads the way when it comes to culture in the Netherlands. Tourist attractions include Madurodam, where basically the whole world is rebuild in miniature size. Every year the Dutch remember those lost during the Second World War on the Malieveld.

Nightlife
Since it's a student city, lots of young people enjoy some drinks daily. And there are many places to do so. Every square, every market and every street holds bars or other places to go for a drink. Cheers!

Shoppers' delight
With two larges shopping malls, The Hague is the place to be for those who like to shop. Ofcourse the streets are bustling with stores and cool stuff to get. Swipe that card and have lunch or a nice drink afterwards! The Haagse Market is the biggest permanent market in Europe, with weekly sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Come and get it!

Local lingo: no language barrier
Surely you wouldn't anyway, but don't worry about any language barrier. Everyone speaks English so there's no need to give the -quite difficult- local lingo Dutch a go.

Lots of green
Considering the fact that it's a city, The Hague is very green. All over town there are little (and bigger) parks and in the summer this is great. Picknicks! But also the Paleistuin (Palace garden) or the ling, broad lanes like the Lange Vijverberg with the Hofvijver (the pond opposite the government building) give the city a green, countrylike touch. Out of town there's the possibility to go wild in the woods: for example in the Haagse Bos.

Cool events
Den Haag hosts some of the best events in the country. Crossing Border, Parkpop and the one and only Koninginnenach, the night before Queen's Day. A lot of the Dutch high profile musical arts are from Den Haag as well. Kane, Anouk, Di-rect and Golden Earring; all based in The Hague.

Den Haag (The Hague) has a lot to offer for basically everyone. Known for it's politics, shops, beach and excelling dining, the city is one of the places to be in the Netherlands. Do you want to visit (or better yet, work in) The Hague? Check these cool job offers aka vacatures in Den Haag!