Delft
The city of Vermeer and Delft Blue, with canals and the tomb of William of Orange.
Vermeer, Mondrian and the sea next door.
14 museumsThe Hague is a city of government, justice and great art. Girl with a Pearl Earring hangs a few minutes' walk from the central station. And when you have seen enough, the tram takes you straight to the beach.
For museum lovers, The Hague is surprisingly compact. The Mauritshuis, the Prison Gate and the old streets around the Hofvijver pond sit almost side by side. A little further out is the Kunstmuseum, home to the largest Mondrian collection in the world, and Panorama Mesdag, where you stand in the middle of Scheveningen as it looked in 1881. In between you stroll along Lange Voorhout and Noordeinde, past palaces and galleries. Start early with Vermeer, take a slow lunch in the centre and keep the afternoon free for one more museum or a walk to the sea.
One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.
Six places to complete your museum day.
An intimate 17th-century town palace full of masterpieces. Meet Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, and Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp.
Berlage's Art Deco building holds the world's largest Mondrian collection, ending with Victory Boogie Woogie. There is also fashion, Delftware and modern art.
A circular painting some 120 metres long, showing the sea, the dunes and the fishing village of Scheveningen in 1881. You stand on a mock dune top and briefly forget you are indoors.
A medieval town gate that served as a prison for centuries. A guided tour takes you through the cells, the interrogations and the violent end of the De Witt brothers.
The home of international law, opened in 1913. The visitor centre explains how questions of war and peace are settled here.
A sculpture museum built half into the dunes. From the terrace you look straight over the promenade to the sea.
Buy your tickets online and plan the rest of your day around them.
All museums in Den Haag. Click a museum for the route.
The Hague sits in the middle of the Randstad. Within half an hour you can be in another city full of museums.
The city of Vermeer and Delft Blue, with canals and the tomb of William of Orange.
A university town with the National Museum of Antiquities, Naturalis and the Hortus botanicus.
Modern architecture, the Kunsthal and the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl.
The Hague has hotels for every budget, from grand addresses on Lange Voorhout to simple rooms near the station and by the sea. From Den Haag Centraal the train takes you to Delft, Leiden or Rotterdam in no time. Spend the day out and about, then come back for dinner in the old centre or on the Scheveningen seafront. A few days here show you the best of the region.
Restaurants, shops and hotels near the museums, picked for museum visitors.