Shopping arcade, The Hague

The Passage is a beautiful, more than 110 year old (1885) shoppingcentre.
It is a unique street as it lies under a roof of glass. Shoppings centers like this are more common in Southern Europe. There used to be some more in the Netherlands (4), but all the old ones are all gone, which makes the Passage in The Hague extra unique

In the Passage you find many (chique) shops and several places to have a bite.

In the city center, near the prisoner's gate, you will find a new, small shopping center built in a kind of"Jugendstil". The dutch call it "Snoeptrommel" which means candy box. It was inaugurated in 2000, but seems much older due to its style.

Exploring the centre of The Hague have a nice city walk in the MOLENSTREET, one of the many old alleyways in this region. Once there was a mill/molen here which got replaced by the Waalse Church. You'll find some very nice restaurants, souvenirs & antique shops, supermarket, and for artists among us, visit Goedman (Molenstraat 43) for good discounts ... One more asset; just around the corner is the smallest shopping street of The Hague, names Prinsenstraat (see link)

The passage is probably the oldest shopping arcade in the Netherlands and was built - as you can see - between 1882 and 1885. The shops inside are mostly luxury and chic ones, but it is still worth a visit. Just have a look and feel a bit of the shopping world in the 19th century. The building itself is very beautiful but is mostly hidden behind the electricity lines of the trams...

This would be a relief for any visitor by car. The The Hague City Parking is right in the centre of The Hague and, is open to drive out for day & night, for 24.00 hrs. You pay 2.20 Euro per hour, and 15 Euro for one day maximum. An extra is that there is a filling station next door, open for 24.00 hrs!

Time to drive in:
Monday: 07.00 - 01.00 hrs
Tuesday: 07.00 - 01.00 hrs
Wednesday: 07.00 - 01.00 hrs
Thusrday: 07.00 - 02.30 hrs
Friday: 07.00 - 02.30 hrs
Saturday: 07.00 - 02.30 hrs
Sunday: 10.00 - 01.00 hrs

See link for other parking places, and, wishing you a nice shop, stay, hike, walk, diner!

When visiting the Gevangenpoort you can go for a shop at the "Plaats", literally "Place". In former days it was a horrible "place", named Voorplaete van den Hove, where executions took place till 18th century (really, I'm not joking!).

There are for now some top shops, a great pavement and, knockin' about the place, walk to the Noordeinde promenade. See the statue of Dutch famie Johan De Witt who was assassinated here in medieval times ...

Extra note: ... the Avantgarde is at the "Plaats", too, where you are teached how to walk like a mannequin, a dressman, and how to learn to make-up your face (yep, you know the teacher...)

Johan De Witt

The roofed-over Passage off Buitenhof is a long established shopping arcade and well worth a visit. Once the upmost trendy place to shop this oldest shopping arcade of The Hague dates from 1982 and, it contains modern shops and restaurants.

When visiting The Passage shopping arcade see the beautiful "public women" statues of "Agriculture", left side, and "Industry", right side. That has been told, while at the other side of The Passage you'll find "Traffic" (left side, male) and "Technics" (right side, female), created around 1928 (find these when entering from Hofweg).

The sculptor is unknown of all sculptures and, these 2 statues you can find over the entrance of Passage when walking from Gravenstraat, crossing with Kettingstraat.

The Passage is an old Shopping arcade in The Hague. It was built in 1885. What makes it so unique is that the roof is made of glass. Its the only passage of its kind that is left in The Netherlands. There are some realy nice and posh shops located in the passage.

Holland, included The Hague, is well-known for its fresh bread. Although the super-markets snatched a lot of clients away from the baker's shops, with its multi-choise of super-market bread, some Warme Bakker's (Fresh Bakery) stood to it and, one of them is right in the center of The Hague, named "Aad Brouwers".

So if you have mind to have some nice warm, fresh baked bread, rolls, cookies etc. walk for about 2 minutes into the Wagenstraat to its corner of Stille Veerkade (just behind Beehive, also the China-town Area). There's a great assortiment of choise and the bakery already opens at 07.30 in the morning ... (Monday to Saturday!)

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With all of the rain in The Netherlands you would think that there would be more covered shopping streets. The Hague has one such shopping street, De Passage, built in 1882, but apparently the idea did not catch on. None-the-less you can still enjoy shops and restaurants in this unique shopping arcade.