How much time in The Hague
 

Visiting the Hague after a Tulip viewing river trip. How many days should we allow to see and enjoy The Hague as we fly back to USA afterwards. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have been to Amsterdam multiple times and look forward to seeing this new site.

A full day would be more than enough for many but if you want to see Schevingen (sp?) and things like Marurodam - very popular Holland in Miniature scale-model (http://www.madurodam.nl/en/) then maybe more. Otherwise the must sights are scattered around the Mauruitshuis and Royal Palace area. The Peace Palace also has guided tours and is out of the centrum a bit.

Consider hitting nearby Delft as well - neat old city with canals and famous Delftware ceramics factory/museum.

http://www.royaldelft.com/index.asp?lang=2

And don't forget the Gemeentemuseum. The biggest collection of Mondriaans paintings, beautiful silver and antique Delfts Blue. This summer an exhibition of Dutch impressionists with beautiful Dutch landschapjes. In Scheveningen there is a beautiful museum in the dunes called Beelden aan Zee.

Thanks so much. I think we will add a day in Delft and make it an easy three day stay to get in all the museums.

The Hague is The Netherlands' only truly decadent city, with a hidden layer of perversity behind the proper facade of Royal Residence and Seat of Government. This has a drawback, being that you have to know where to go to experience this city properly. On the surface there is not much to do. The Hague still is a city of estates, reaching right in to the city. From Central Station to the sea you can walk from one estate to the other.


The Japanese garden in Clingendael is gorgeous and open for about 8 weeks a year in spring

Gemeentemuseum has already been mentioned. Its collections are world class, but the building by Berlage is a work of art in itself.

Proper Indonesian food can only be had in The Hague: after all, this is the former nexus of the modern Dutch colonial empire. Many Eurasians ended up in the Hague and the Eurasian restaurants here are second to none. Bogor is the most authentic, but Onze Toko, a mom and pop place with a counter and some tables and chairs, on Beeklaan, has the best food.

The Hague has always been a truly class conscious city: the city is divided in quarters built on "sand" and those built on "peat". A guided tour by a Greeter will get you up to speed with this. In this respect, The Hague is unlike the rest of The Netherlands.

Beautiful areas for a stroll are Vijverberg and Hofvijver and Lange Voorhout. Pulchri is an artists' club on Lange Voorhout and an institution: members exhibit their work and there's a cafe.

Also on Lange Voorhout: De Posthoorn, for many inhabitants an extension of their living room.

If you have tea, have it in the lobby of the Des Indes hotel

And coffee and cake can best be had in the Wiener Konditorei. Between the war this was a place famous for doubling as a place where spies could have their rendez vous.

One mind blowing art exhibit is Panorama Mesdag. It's just been restored to its former glory and it's one of the last remaining examples of its kind.

wow - menachem has put a whole new face on the Hague - warts and all! Thanks!

families may enjoy a day out at a water park - Duinrell in the tony suburb of Wassenaar - older kids could be 'parked' here whilst the adults do the for kids rather boring museums.

I lived in The Hague for 5 years. And I had a hard time discovering it. Until D took me to Societeit De Pijpenla. And then I understood. We walked through a door off the street, went through a hidden courtyard to another door and we were in a private bar. Then I understood that The Hague is a city of doors. It doesn't show its perversions openly, like Amsterdam does. Most things happen in secret here, hidden from view. I always have to think of Couperus' "A Chronicle of Lesser Souls" that traces its well to do characters as they descend into madness, disillusion and death all this while presenting a proper facade to the world. Even today, when I cycle through Den Haag and pass Alexanderstraat, I think: this is where the Van Lowe's lived.

Wow. What great responses.
Thanks to all.