The oldest (and most beautiful!) part of The Hague are the buildings on the Binnenhof, with the houses of parliament. Right next to it is a body of water, the Hofvijver (royal pond). It’s actually not a pond, but an old dune lake that existed even before the city was build. During the year, the pond is sometimes used for events. The big fireworks on New Year’s Eve take place here, and in spring there’s even a (very short distance) rowing match on the water!

For me, the most fascinating part of the pond is the island in the middle. It’s a tiny overgrown piece of land that has been there for centuries. Rumor has it that years ago soft drugs enthusiasts catapulted seed bombs onto the island, so that weed plants would grow on it.

Although it’s not allowed to visit the island, it has been occupied a number of times. Right behind the island you can see a small tower that houses the offices of the Prime Minister. Needless to say that the best way to demonstrate is to occupy the island!

I myself have been so lucky to visit the island a couple of times. A few years ago the Hofvijver froze over and was turned into a skating rink. We all went to the island to put on our skates. Afterwards you could still see a pair of skates hanging in a tree on the island. Too late to retrieve them after the ice was gone!