As a child I lived in a tiny village on Wadden island Texel with my parents and younger brother. Our garden bordered on a meadow with Texel sheep and more than once our way was temporarily blocked by a farmer and his flock strolling on the public road from one grassland to another… I still love sheep! So I am happy that The Hague has Jacobahof, a nice petting zoo and neighborhood garden near the city center.

Good neighbors
In the petting zoo you will not only find sheep but also goats, swine, chickens, ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs. The sheep and goats share a corral and luckily the sheepish balls of wool are happy to play along with the bucking goats. Very funny. 😉 Unfortunately, the pigs are a bit grumpy, so it is better not to stroke them. Only looking at these animals is also nice though. The neighborhood garden consists of several kitchen gardens, a greenhouse, a flower garden and an orchard. You will also find a great picnic table there.

The Jacobahof is situated near the Jacobastraat. This street is one of the oldest parts of De Schilderswijk and it is worthwhile walking through. On both sides you will see beautiful bright-colored facades of tiny workers’ houses from about 1882. I also like the nearby ’s Gravenzandelaan for its park-like central reservation with large trees and a footpath.