![\"Dutch](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777117367_333_0x0.jpg\")
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Dutch Parliament<\/p>\n
neirfy \/ Getty<\/p>\n
There’s a famous saying in Holland:\u00a0The Dutch make their money in Rotterdam, invest it in Amsterdam, and spend it in The Hague.\u00a0Find out why this Royal City by the sea is the best-kept secret in Europe, and why it should top your travel list for 2020. Most American travelers never venture beyond the picturesque canals of\u00a0Amsterdam<\/a>, but there is far more to Holland than its nation’s capital. And in this new decade, we kindly suggest venturing beyond your comfort zone. Not that you have to venture too far from Holland’s most famous city to enjoy the royal comforts of The Hague. Visit the Dutch coast, bike through the charming town of Scheveningen, enjoy a delightfully sophisticated dinner al fresco, and return to America refreshed, relaxed, and ready to do it again.<\/p>\n Hague it or love it (though you’ll undoubtedly love it), our top\u00a0destination\u00a0<\/a>to visit this year is a western city along Holland’s blistering west coast\u2014and it’s perfect for a visit any time of year. After all, the North Sea is just one of the many attractions awaiting lucky travelers to this beautiful city. The Hague is home to some of the best masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age while exemplifying the country’s present-day Golden Age of sophisticated luxury. So, for your next getaway to the Netherlands, why not vacation like a (hyper-posh) local? After all, if it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much. Herewith, your travel guide to Holland’s picturesque City by the Sea.<\/p>\n North Sea<\/p>\n Getty \/ Westend61 \/ Mel Stuart<\/p>\n Where To Stay<\/p>\n Hotel Indigo is located in the historic heart of the city, right across the road of the working palace of King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands. Housed in the 19th-century former bank building, elements of that history come back in the unique interior of this elegant boutique hotel. The old gold vault is, for instance, used by the restaurant of the hotel, named Stocks & Bonds. The hotel is a perfect base for exploring the Golden Age history of\u00a0The Hague.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018The Girl With a Pearl Earring\u2019 is the \u2018Mona Lisa\u2019 of the North.\n<\/p>\n Remco D\u00f6rr, Art & Architecture Historian<\/p>\n Another option is to head for the seaside of\u00a0Scheveningen<\/a>, and stay in the aptly-named\u00a0Grand Hotel Amr\u00e2th Kurhaus,\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>a historic and magnificently extravagant hotel that\u2014despite undergoing some renovations over the years\u2014still retains its lustrous Kursaal. The hotel’s gold-plated ballroom is ornate enough to accommodate a queen, its sprawling environs sufficiently decadent for the Rolling Stones to stay up partying until dawn. Whether you opt for regal or rock-star during your stay in The Hague is, of course, entirely up to you.<\/p>\n The Hague<\/p>\n Walter Bibikow \/ GettyWhat To Do<\/p>\n There’s no better way to explore the area than by bike, and we suggest venturing beyond the limits of the city proper to witness how the other half lives. And it’s truly the other half, as the Laan van Meerdervoort is a quite literal dividing line between the posh and the less-posh regions in the city. On the side towards the North Sea, there’s far more open space and green environs, while the homes towards the town are definitively less-so. (Though, New Yorkers\u2014and most visitors from elsewhere in the world\u2014would likely find both sides of the track beautiful and spacious.) And, indeed, to wander in The Hague is to feel like you’ve visited a fairytale.<\/p>\n Fountain at Hofvijver Pond<\/p>\n Thomas Winz \/ Getty<\/p>\n But vacation isn’t just about seeing how the other half lives, it’s also about pretending to be part of that other half, if only for a short period. So, we say, bike towards that North Sea, and drink it all in. (And eat the fish in Scheveningen.) Despite The Hague’s royal environs, the natives aren’t frighteningly uptight, as they can be in neighboring nations. Rather the opposite, in fact.<\/p>\n “The further north you go in Europe, the more liberated we become,” says the art and architecture historian, and City Host of\u00a0The Hague Convention Bureau<\/a>, Remco D\u00f6rr.<\/p>\n This, of course, would seemingly contradict the nation’s Puritanical history and sensibilities. “Actually, the Dutch are quite strange,” D\u00f6rr concedes. “They say that the Lord created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Mauritshuis and Binnenhof at Sunset<\/p>\n Rob Kints \/ Getty<\/p>\n Next up is a visit to\u00a0Mauritshuis<\/a>,\u00a0the first public art museum in Holland, and one of the best in all of Europe. Is it also where Rembrandt’s seminal 1632 masterpiece, \u2018The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp\u2019 resides. And the scale of the painting\u2014not to mention the characters depicted within\u2014exemplifies Rembrandt’s trademark ability to subvert expectations (artistic and otherwise), a skill that was celebrated all throughout 2019 with the nationwide\u00a0Rembrandt and the Golden Age 2019 exhibits<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Dutch make their money in Rotterdam, invest it in Amsterdam, and spend it in The Hague.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n But Rembrandt isn’t the only show in town (or Dutch Master in town, for that matter.) While you’re there, keep an eye out for several other luminaries hanging upon the 17th-century walls. Though constructed in 1644, the building didn’t become a museum until 1833, when Prince Willem V established a Royal Gallery within its walls\u2014the oldest part of the museum’s collection were his pieces.<\/p>\n Literary lovers should thrill to the sight of ‘The Goldfinch,’ while Vermeer’s classic portrait is sure to excite all travelers, even those without the slightest interest in art history. In the (reliably wise) words of D\u00f6rr: “‘The Girl With a Pearl Earring’ is the ‘Mona Lisa’ of the North.”<\/p>\n Kijkduin Beach<\/p>\n Sandra Ranzetti \/ Getty <\/p>\n The best way to commemorate the iconic sighting? We recommend purchasing the Duck with the Pearl Earring at the museum’s (otherwise utterly sophisticated)\u00a0gift-shop<\/a>. Holland is famous as the homeland of the\u00a0Amsterdam Duck Store<\/a>, a chain that has now spread throughout Europe, selling a wide variety of rubber ducks. After all: When in Rome. Or rather, when in The Hague\u2014which we’d argue is even more of a revelation to the sophisticated traveler than the City of Eternal Light.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Dutch are quite strange. They say that the Lord created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands.\n<\/p>\n Remco D\u00f6rr, Art & Architecture Historian<\/p>\n The Netherlands is the land of the tchotchke (see also: the gin-filled Delft houses gifted by KLM to business class travelers), so bringing home a Vermeer-themed plastic bird would be so quintessentially Dutch of you. And\u2014while we’re on the topic of how the Dutch so famously spend their money in the Hague\u2014consider a visit to\u00a0De Bijenkorf Den Haag<\/a>, a shopping mecca with tailoring expertise and personal style advice for the acquisitive visitor.<\/p>\n Binnenhof and Ridderzaal <\/p>\n Getty \/ Rob Kints<\/p>\n Additionally, sightseers would be remiss not to visit the\u00a0Inner Court and the Hall of Knights\u00a0<\/a>(we recommend visiting at sunset when it’s less crowded, and the sky casts the buildings in a golden light.) The Inner Court is the oldest parliament building in the world and was the very heart of the country’s power during the Dutch Golden Age. And no trip is complete without a stroll to the grounds of the\u00a0Peace Palace<\/a>, the establishment of this historic building in 1913 is why The Hague is known as the City of Peace and Justice. Dedicated visitors can arrive early in hopes for a tour, though it is generally not open when the court is in session.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scheveningen<\/p>\n Karol Kozlowski \/ Getty<\/p>\n Where To Eat & Drink<\/p>\n As for dining options, a visit to\u00a0De Boterwaag,<\/a>\u00a0an indoor dairy market turned grand caf\u00e9, is mandatory. The restaurant’s name translates to The Butter Scale, a reference to its previous existence that is still on display in the back of the 17th-century building. Though the market no longer exists, this Golden Age hot-spot is still a vibrant place to visit today, with outdoor seating on the Grote Markt square. Another enticing dinner option to consider is<\/p>\n From one charming city square to another: Our next choice is\u00a0Restaurant Publique<\/a>, located along the iconic and charming Anna Paulownaplein. (Truthfully, though it’s challenging to find a street within the city limits that’s not pleasing to the eye.) Nevertheless, this is a dinner spot that offers both exceptional people-watching while seated out on the terrace, as well as some elegant international dishes\u2014and, most importantly, expert cocktails.<\/p>\n Dutch Houses of Parliament reflected in the Court Pond<\/p>\n Rob Kints \/ Getty<\/p>\n The next day, head out to Scheveningen for some smoked fish from a seaside market (we recommend\u00a0Roeleveld Vis<\/a>), and tropical cocktails at a bar along the North Sea. The Hague is the only city in The Netherlands with a beach, and the boulevard along the Pier of Scheveningen is lined with bars\u2014plus a Bungy tower and Ferris wheel, as well. Located on the shore in front of the Kurhaus,\u00a0Oceans Beach House\u00a0<\/a>offers up a distinctly European blend of Montauk meets Santa Monica\u2014and if that sounds unappealing to you, we assure you, it isn’t. Enjoy a traditional ‘borrel’\u2014the Dutch tradition for a drink and a light snack\u2014at the end of the afternoon at Oceans Beach House, and order the \u2018bitterballen\u2019 (meat croquettes) for the full local experience.<\/p>\n The Dutch Parliament<\/p>\n AleksandarGeorgiev \/ GettyGetting There<\/p>\n As if you needed yet another reason to visit Holland in the near-future, Rembrandt wasn’t the only global Dutch institution to celebrate a significant birthday this past year.\u00a0KLM<\/a>, the world’s oldest airline, just turned 100 in October\u2014a number that feels positively youthful in comparison to Rembrandt\u2019s 350th. In typical Dutch fashion, they’re celebrating with tchotchkes: the\u00a0Delft house<\/a>\u00a0#100,\u00a0a special-edition of miniature, gin-filled, homestead that KLM gifts to business class passengers. All the more reason to opt for first-class. After way, what other way is there to arrive in the Royal City?\u00a0<\/p>\n Once you land in Amsterdam, there is a direct train from the Dutch capital to the coast. Catch the 55-minute Intercity train ride from Amsterdam Central Station to Den Haag Central, and enjoy the scenery along the way. The journey is so blissful and relaxed, the extra step of travel hardly registers as a bother\u2014and is certainly more pleasant than a daily commute from Penn Station. Additionally, travelers visiting in the springtime can take advantage of the ease of rail travel by visiting the\u00a0Keukenhof Tulip Gardens<\/a>\u00a0on the last day of their trip, on their return to the airport. The Hague is actually closer to the famous flower field than Amsterdam\u2014by roughly ten minutes, but still. It’s a beautiful way to make your final day in paradise last a little longer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dutch Parliament neirfy \/ Getty There’s a famous saying in Holland:\u00a0The Dutch make their money in Rotterdam, invest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5923,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[5423,5425,5403,816,5427,18,5424,5419,5225,813,5420,1373,5429,1984,6,5421,5428,42,216,305,5418,5426,5422,5430,5431],"class_list":{"0":"post-5922","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-hague","8":"tag-chic","9":"tag-cultural-travel","10":"tag-culture","11":"tag-dutch","12":"tag-elegant","13":"tag-europe","14":"tag-european","15":"tag-european-travel","16":"tag-history","17":"tag-holland","18":"tag-holland-travel","19":"tag-klm","20":"tag-long-weekend","21":"tag-luxury","22":"tag-netherlands","23":"tag-netherlands-travel","24":"tag-rembrandt","25":"tag-the-hague","26":"tag-the-netherlands","27":"tag-travel","28":"tag-travel-europe","29":"tag-undiscovered","30":"tag-visit-holland","31":"tag-weekend","32":"tag-weekend-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5922\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}