With a cool cultural scene, exciting art and a thumping music crowd, The Hague is a surprisingly fun city. It’s also a great place for families with its beautiful parks and water activities!
It’s also home to one of the world’s most famous buildings, the Peace Palace. Visiting this iconic building is an absolute must, although tours aren’t always available.
1. Museum Mauritshuis
Museum Mauritshuis is a must-visit for art enthusiasts. This palace-like building, named after its original owner Johan Maurits, is filled with Dutch and Flemish paintings from the Golden Age.
The Mauritshuis collection is one of the largest in the Netherlands and boasts works by Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Vermeer and other renowned Flemish masters. It's best to visit here early on a weekend morning to avoid queues.
During your time at the museum, you should check out the gallery where "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer is on display. This painting is famous around the world and has become a central part of literature.
The Mauritshuis recently underwent a major renovation to bring it back to its architect Jacob van Campen's original design. It doubled its surface area and introduced state-of-the-art exhibition and education facilities.
2. Escher in het Paleis
If you love art then you need to stop by the Escher in het Paleis museum (Escher in the Palace) in The Hague. This is a permanent exhibition of MC Escher’s works.
Located inside the former Winter Palace of Queen Mother Emma, this museum is a must for fans of Escher. This is also one of the few places in The Hague where you can still feel the ambiance of a former royal palace.
The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, who was famous for his optical illusions. The collection includes notes, letters, photos and plenty of woodcuts and litho-graphs from the artist’s career.
The museum itself is small and compact, so a visit here lasts just about an hour. PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you’re planning on visiting Mauritshuis or Escher in het Paleis, be sure to arrive early since queues are often long.
3. Prison Gate Museum
The Prison Gate Museum (or Rijksmuseum de Gevangenpoort) is an icon of The Hague, beautifully situated next to the Hofvijver. Originally, the building formed an imposing entrance gate to the castle of the Counts of Holland.
The building later served as a prison and courthouse for the Court of Holland. Today, it tells the enthralling story of crime and punishment over the centuries.
With a guided tour, you’ll learn about how people were punished and what their cells looked like in the past. You’ll also peer at old torture devices and hear stories about what it was like to be a prisoner in 17th century Holland.
It’s a great way to learn about democracy, peace and justice in an interesting way! The museum is also close to another remarkable institution, Humanity House.
4. Kunstmuseum Den Haag
The Hague’s main art museum, also known as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, is an impressive Art Deco building designed by Dutch architect H P Berlage. With a plethora of modern and contemporary art, the Kunstmuseum is a must for any art lover.
- The highlight of the museum is arguably its Mondriaan collection, which is the world’s largest. Here you can see Mondriaan’s last abstract work, Victory Boogie Woogie, along with a wide variety of Delft pottery and rare Hague silverware.
- There’s a lot to see here, so make sure you leave plenty of time to see it all. Other highlights include a stunning dolls’ house, seven period rooms and an extensive collection of musical instruments. The museum also offers a scavenger hunt for kids, as well as handy audio guides and a cafe.
