The coach picked us up at the Sofitel Hotel to take us on a tour to see the Hague, (Den Haag). It is less than a 30 minute ride from Amsterdam.
Along the way we saw quaint fishing villages, and a lot of resorts.
The Netherlands is considered to be a Constitutional Monarchy. The majority of people are Christians, (Roman Catholic and Protestants). T
There are also some Muslims and Jews living here. They speak Dutch, a low form of German. I also know how to speak a low form of German, (Yiddish), but I couldn’t understand one word! The City
This the capital city of the Netherlands. The Hague can trace its royal connection all the way back to 1248. They use to use the guilder as their curacy but now they use the Euro. Close to 16 million people live here. The most important industries are fishing, tourism, manufacturing of metal and petroleum.
Mauritshuis Museum has a collection show art that were painted by the masters, and includes works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Steen, Frans Hals and a magnificent panorama of Dutch & Flemish art from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries.
Mesdag Panorama is a cylinder-shaped painting of the old fishing village of Scheveningen in 1881. Madurodam, is a miniature city with models of buildings that tells the story of how a typical Dutch City has developed over the centuries.
There is an Amusement park and a Historic village.
We had lunch at Goude Hooft. It serves the delicious Dutch pancakes. I like mine filled with a mixture of savory things, and my Buddha, (husband), likes his filled with sweet things, that are covered in syrup and whipped cream,
The Hague Municipal Museum, (Haags Gemeentemuseum). This art museum features an important collection of modern art, plus works from earlier periods by Picasso, Monet and van Gogh.
We drove past the Binnenhof Palace, where the Queen works, and the Mansion where she lives was quite beautiful. It was once a hunting lodge, but in the 1200’s the buildings were expanded until it was a Castle.
We also drove past the Peace Palace and the library, that is surrounded by gardens. This is where the United Nations has their International Court.
The Omniversum, is a planetarium. It’s not as large as the one We were given an hour to shop, so we avoided the shops and headed for the market on Colderstreet. I bought a package of Rembrandt prints, (for 10 Euros), to bring back as presents. Then we found the shops near old town. This area has posh and affordable shops. I bought some T-shirts for my grandchildren.
On the way back we stopped at a café in a fishing village, and had our dinner. I had sole, and my husband had cod. Like all places we have visited in the Netherlands, you could eat off the streets. I don’t know how many times a day, the people that own shops or live in houses sweep the sidewalks, and then throw some water on them.
It is a very charming city to visit.
Thanks for reading my review.
©LL2005