The Hague

Internationally, The Hague is often known as the "judicial capital of the world" due to the many international courts that are located in the city. Among these are the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and, since 2004, the International Criminal Court. Beside these institutions, The Hague is home to more than 150 international organizations, and to many EU institutions, multinational companies and embassies. This gave the city a distinct international character — one that is noticeably different from Amsterdam. Rather than having the many foreign tourists and fortune-seekers attracted by Amsterdam's reputation for excitement and liberalism, The Hague generally has more expatriates working and living in the city because of the number of international institutions and companies. Because of this, The Hague has a reputation as a wealthy, conservative and somewhat sedate city.

The Hague has very little of the edginess and excitement of Amsterdam; however, it provides well for its inhabitants in different ways, such as large areas of green space, 11 km of coastline, attractive shopping streets and an extensive multicultural scene. Rather than having canals like other Dutch cities, The Hague has streets and avenues that are just a little bit wider than those in the rest of the country, giving the city a more continental feel. Instead of the typical Dutch renaissance 17th-century step-gabled houses, it has 18th-century mansions in baroque and classicist styles. The city is considered by many as the most stately of the country. Just outside the city centre, posh neighbourhoods effuse a more 19th century look with eclectic and art nouveau architecture.

By plane:

The Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM IATA) is the closest airport to the city. Metro line E connects Den Haag Centraal station with the Meijersplein, a station close to the airport. The airport terminal is connected with the later one by bus line #33 (which continues further up to the Rotterdam Centraal railway station).

The Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS IATA), is a bit farther. However, with several direct trains per hour from the railway stations Hollands Spoor and Centraal, and also with an hourly night train from station Hollands Spoor, it is more frequently used by people travelling to and from The Hague by air.

By train:

The Hague has two main train stations, serving domestic and international routes.

1 Den Haag Centraal Station (Den Haag CS). is the biggest train station in The Hague. It is within walking distance of the city centre and from Malieveld park. Den Haag Centraal has connections to Amsterdam (45 minutes), Schiphol Airport (30 minutes), Utrecht (35 minutes), Groningen (2½ hours) and many other cities throughout the Randstad and the Netherlands. Passengers coming from Rotterdam can also use that city's Metro line E to travel to Den Haag Centraal. You can get to Centraal Station from a variety of international destinations such as Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt, Prague, and Basel via the city of Utrecht. Upon arrival, the city centre of The Hague is about a 5 minute walk from the Centraal Station. Leave through the left side entrance (look for the tram station stops) and walk through the glass passageway and straight ahead. There are luggage storage lockers at the station. (updated May 2023)