The Hague Tourist Traps

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Like all palaces it has quite a history, which always interests me. Reading the guidebook of The Hague learned me that Paleis Noordeinde originally started out as a medieval farmhouse, which was converted into a spacious residence by the steward of the States of Holland, Willem van de Goudt in 1533. The original farmhouse's cellars still can be seen in the palace basement, but of course we couldn’t, because the palace isn’t open for us visitors.

From 1566 to 1591, the palace had a different owner. Once it was returned to the Dutch royal family they substantially enlarged the house, which was then known as the Oude Hof. They began by buying the surrounding plots of land and hired the same architects who built Huis ten Bosch Palace in 1645. The alterations included lengthening the main building and adding wings on either side, and therefore creating the characteristic H-form that is seen today.

Unique Suggestions: Don't forget to visit the garden!
Address:
Noordeinde 68, 2514 GL The Hague.

Directions:
It’s located in center of The Hague in between the Peace Palace Library and the Binnenhof.

Phone: 070 3624701

Website: http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/Paleizen/Paleis_Noordeinde.html

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To me this location is just what The Hague stands for. Walking around in the city center and all of a sudden you end up facing a real Dutch royal palace! Paleis (Palace) Noordeinde is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. It’s located in center of The Hague in between the Peace Palace Library and the Binnenhof. It has been used as the "working palace" for Queen Beatrix ever since 1984.

Because of the fact that it is the palace the Queen works at you can’t enter it. Maybe it is a shame that this isn’t possible, but on the other hand it is a bit magical knowing that our Queen might be inside ... just working. So, this just left us at the gates and staring at the entrance of the beautiful palace. There is more than enough to see and admire, like the front facade with its amazing sculptures, the gate with its nice Royal Coat of Arms and of course the nearby statue of Willem van Oranje.

Unique Suggestions: Don't forget to visit the garden!
Address:
Noordeinde 68, 2514 GL The Hague.

Directions:
It’s located in center of The Hague in between the Peace Palace Library and the Binnenhof.

Phone: 070 3624701

Website: http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/Paleizen/Paleis_Noordeinde.html

This is an utter rip off and the only place where we felt cheated in Holland. You are shown 1 tacky amateur video sitting on wooden benches, then taken in to the Hall of Knights, sitting on wooden benches again, given 1 hand out if you're lucky. The whole of the hall is reconstructed and is totally fake. There are no more rooms to be seen - simply 1 hall, which you can see in a couple of minutes. The Dutch Government should be ashamed of ripping tourists off.

So sorry to admit The Hague does have its own "dark areas". It still isn't that heavy as the Bronx, NY, though when the Sun kisses the ocean (Western coast side) and darkness spread out be on your alert. Ofcourse one is telling that The Hague is like the stars in the sky, it is not true!

Unique Suggestions: Criminality is getting a bigger problem for sure. Robbery, becoming agressivity, rude behaviour and even the drugs-scenes gets the upper hand at particular places. Chinatown at the center of The Hague is a relatively safe place, but just around the corner further on you could get in such a "dangerous" place ...
... just take care ...

Fun Alternatives: Get some information (like with VVV - Toursit Information) when wanna have fun ... in all ways!

Tourist Information

Still I see people getting fooled and, think this beautiful building is a truely medieval castle from the Middle Ages. They make a lot of pictures, admiring the classic tower and the Greek Goddess Pallas Athena, assured this is the Peace Palace. The building is the Gymnasium Haganum, built in beginning of 1900 by J. Vrijman and J. van Lokhorst in Neo-Renaissance style, with a classic tower inside...

Unique Suggestions: Well, if so ... just enjoy the beauty of this Gymnasium Haganum, you may go inside (and find out it is not the Peace Palace) to have a look ... it is worth of it!

Fun Alternatives: Donot get annoyed, you can go for a walk to the Peace Palace ... it is not that far from Gymnasium Haganum. When coming out of this "castle", turn to the left, find the Metropole (an old cinema), walk around the Metropole from left-side, and you will see the Peace Palace. For sure you have seen now both 2 beautiful buildings!

With a lot of fuss and notices the Tramtunnel of The Hague was opened on 16th of October, 2004. All The Hague people cried shame upon it, in mind the many shops which had to close its doors during the long works on the tunnel.

THE HAGUE TRAMTUNNEL

Unique Suggestions: So to visit the Tramtunnel just is as normal as travelling by tramline and you won't see the more than 300 million Euro costs. It is not a gorgeous Moscow tunnel, there are no extras like in Singapore ... it is just the "Tramtanic" or "Swim Tunnel", as the locals of The Hague named this project.

THE HAGUE TRAMTUNNEL

Fun Alternatives: Ofcourse tourist-people must make one travel by tramline to see the Tramtunnel of The Hague. Just to remember this probably is one of the most expensive tramtunnels ever built ...

THE HAGUE TRAMTUNNEL

Excuses, I had to remove this "Danger-Tip", because the government-authorities decided the "wheel-trap" is not of any importants anymore... though I thought this is a nice memory of those back-times ... so it be.

Traffic today is growing too fast and the cars are for now innumerable. Visitors of The Hague have to take into consideration that The Hague has a wicked parking-problem. Even the Hague residents have to buy their parking tickets and these "blue zones" (parkeer zone) has irritated a lot of visitors and tourists ... especially in the center of The Hague the traffic wardens look for tourist !!!

25 million people do pay a visit to The Hague yearly, and most of them come by car. You have to pay wherever you park your car ... if not, or crossed the parking-time, you'll get a irrevocable ticket. And the worst has been the "wheel-trap"... a strange looking yellow thing ... only to find at Amsterdam for now.
Which cost a lot of money !!!

Unique Suggestions: When so, follow the instructions on your ticket. Visit the Parking department, low your voice, temper your humour, pay the tax,... leave as quick as possible ... and take a beer around the corner. Though The Hague Government finished to leave these yellow horrors!

Visitor’s address Postal Office
Loosduinseweg 13-17
2571 AA The Hague

Desk
Opening hours on workdays from 07.45 am until 04.00 pm

+31 (0)70-353 3000

Website :
Information
More Warning - Dangers

Fun Alternatives: Park your car in the parking places (see website), or you could park the car outside The Hague in the suburbs and continue your travel by tram.

Parking-places

In most clubs you'll have to pay 50 cents to go to the toilets. The clubs aren't allowed to ask this money by the law. Sometimes you'll have no choice. Make sure you pay once for the whole evening. (clubbing is expensive enough as it is right)

Unique Suggestions: If they are being difficult, just pay the money. In the club Paard (I wrote a tip about it) you can pay whatever you like to.

Fun Alternatives: Be sure in the beginning what they expect. It is different in every club.