Den Haag

Living in The Netherlands was a mixture of blessings and frustrations (like everything closing at 5pm except on Thursdays)... which reminds me everything closes at 5pm! So do all shopping that you wish to do for souvenirs before then because after five you can drink or eat but that is it!

Right back to Den Haag, this is a cheaper, prettier city to base yourself in for your travels and it is also very easy to get to Delft, Gouda, Rotterdam, and Leiden from here (it is also easy to get to Amsterdam with two trains leaving per hour that go via the airport- which is called Schipol, typing in Amsterdam airport at the ticket machine gets you no where).


First up in the sleepy city known as Den Haag would be a list of places to eat (in case you could not tell by now that I love food).

My absolute favorite place in all of The Hague would be this little Indonesian place called 'Jimbaran' (Prinsestraat 10). Try the Otak Otak (fish in banan leaves) or to be super full the goudo goudo. Also the chicken satay which has made its way into Dutch cuisine is pretty tasty. If you are more in the mood for some crepes Will's pancakes (which also has the famed poffertjes). It is located on Gedempte Gracht very near the shopping district on Spui (pronounced Spow).

Meanwhile Very Italian Pizza (next to the Passage) has super cheap and tasty pizza if you are on a very tight budget (be sure to save room for the nutella pizza).

While you are in The Netherlands you must try the fries (frites) but not with ketchup! Instead have them with mayo and curry sauce (soo good) or satay sauce (aka peanut sauce). While different from what most Americans dip their fries in both options are insanely tasty. The most famed fry shop in town is Kleinste Winkeltje on Papestraat (just off the expensive shopping street, Hoogstraat). They also have croquettes and bitterballen if you are in the mood for even more dutch food.

Speaking of Dutch food (which since it is mostly fried and cheese you might be sick of by day five) the Stadsherberg Goude Hooft is the best place I know to get it in The Hague, directly next to the multicolored 'Sting' the service is horrendous (as is all dutch service) but the food is great.

As for drinks there are pretty much two places to go in The Hague for drinks (both will be filled with ex pats and dutch alike). The Plein directly behind the Binnehof has the 'classier' establishments (note some places make you pay to pee even if you are a customer) while in my opinion Grote Markt caters to a slightly more rowdy crowd. Either way going out is a must since you can get loads of fantastic beers that are hard to find back home!


As for the sights there are a surprising number of ways to fill your time in The Hague. If you are in my field (International Law) you can go to one of the several courts in the Hague (although the Tribunal for Sierra Leone, gaining most of the press as of late is wrapping up). Visit one of the Court's websites to get details (ICC, ICTY, STL...)

Perhaps the most famous museum in The Hague is the Mauritshuis which houses the famed painting 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'. It houses mostly dutch pastoral paintings so if you are not dying to see this particular painting I advise skipping it. Just next to the museum is the Binnehof or the seat of government in The Netherlands. You are actually allowed to stroll straight through the court yard where as getting into the buildings themselves is allowed on Heritage day (early September).

Continuing with the fancy building theme you can also walk by the Queen's working palace (on Noordine) and venture out to the Peace Palace as well. The Peace Palace is also home of the International Court of Justice so one cannot walk up on any given day and arrange a tour, they are done privately instead.

Also one can head out to the beach (Schevenigan) and enjoy drinks and mussels on one of the various restaurants dotting the edge of the beach (just don't expect good weather it can actually be worse than that of the UK!)

But perhaps my favorite tourist trap in The Hague, is Madurodam (aka mini-holland). Here you can stroll through all of The Netherlands in one afternoon, taking in Gouda, Rotterdam, and even the airport. Best of all it is interactive so with a few cents the Mars Bar factory will have a truck bring you a Mars Bar (yum).

As a final note the best way to get around The Hague would be by bike, there are bike lanes throughout The Netherlands (I had friends actually bike from The Hague to Gouda, or Delft, or Leiden) and it is a great way to burn off calories from all the fantastic beer, chocolate, cheese and fried goods in general. Also while you can get around via tram they only come about every 15 minutes. Just be very careful of the tram lines in certain cases when you cycle along side them (one of the five bike falls that secures your Dutch-ness is having a run in with a tram track).


And as a final final note, because it is so easy to travel within this particular area, it is worth considering including Belgium or Germany as well. Antwerp is a very very easy day trip from anywhere in The Netherlands (took me about two hours from The Hague via train) and Brussels is only a bit further). Also the airport tax charged to fly in and out of Belgium is actually cheaper than that of The Netherlands so combining the two countries is definitely worth a thought.