I don't have a garden, but I always think of the Palace Garden as my backyard. I go there on a sunny day, my children learned to ride their bikes there, it’s my walking route to work. To be honest, it’s not my backyard, but the king’s. His working palace, the Noordeinde, can be seen from this park. His mother was so kind to open the garden up to the public years ago.
When I came to live in The Hague, the garden was rather derelict and in bad shape. Nowadays it is buzzing with life! It’s a popular picnic spot, a great place to go with children and every Sunday morning (when the weather is nice) there’s a huge yoga class in the park.
There are lots of little stories (and rumors) about the park. In 1785, the first commercial balloon flight in the Netherlands took off from here. It’s remembered by a monument in the garden. Among the citizens of The Hague there is a persistent rumor that a secret passageway runs under the garden to evacuate the royal family, if necessary.
And my absolute favorite: there is a tiny alley in the right back corner of the garden that leads to a plain, anonymous door. Ring the bell next to the door and the guards will let you through. You’ll end up under a beautiful archway that leads you right into the city center. My secret short cut on my way to work!
Prinsessewal
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free
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All around Koningsplein are houses built in the neo-renaissance style typical for the area, beautifully maintained with their front doors in bright colors.
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For breakfast, Petit offers croissants or granola with fruit, for lunch there are two tosti options (the Dutch version of a grilled sandwich).
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Apart from its obvious significance, it's an interesting place to visit because each of the 197 countries contributed a special stone to the monument.
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Whether you enjoy your cappuccino with cow’s milk or oat milk—Tigershark’s baristas perform their magic and make it taste absolutely delicious.
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Papan serves outstanding coffee, grilled cheese toasties and breakfast burgers. It's spacious and relaxed, there's wifi and you can work on your laptop.
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Its a restaurant and wine bar in the modern French-Mediterranean style. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or even just drinks.
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De Vulkaan is the highest peak of the picturesque Westduin Park, located to the west of the city and one of my favorite lookout spots in The Hague.
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Try the “Loft breakfast” between 10:00 and 11:30 for a delicious, nourishing start to the day. If you’re swinging by later, make sure to try out the “Loftini” cocktail.
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Emma’s Hof has a free library, a playground for kids, lots of benches and sunchairs, an abundance of flowers and herbs, and more and more birds...
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Pompernikkel is where you walk past in the mornings, spontaneously grab a coffee, devour an artisanal pastry, and bump into your neighbours.
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The place is stylish yet comfy, and the staff make you feel welcome. Most importantly, their pastries look exquisite and they make their own boterkoek!
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121 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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