9 Things To Do In The Hague - Political Center Of The Netherlands

Dec. 28, 2013 by Matt van Vuuren

Shopping in the political center of the Netherlands can be a lot of fun if you know where to go, so I compiled a time efficient little list of places you should visit

Today I went with my sister to the political center of the Netherlands which is located in 'Het Binnenhof'.

Places

1. September
A stylish hangout weekdays a quiet place to read the newspaper with a good cup of coffee
2. VaVoom
VaVoom is a cocktail bar in genuine Tiki style with a laid back atmosphere, where you can enjoy freshly made cocktails
3. De Passage
Oldest shopping mall of the Netherlands
4. Binnenhof
Heart of the political center of the Netherlands including the knights chamber
5. Palace Noordeinde
One of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family
6. Eat Syrup Waffles
Fresh Dutch syrup waffles will literally blow your socks off
7. Eat Lard Balls
These deep fried pieces of heaven are only available during the weeks leading up to new year
8. Gevangenpoort
Former gate and medieval prison on the Buitenhof including many torture devices
9. Umami
Cool Asian tapas fusion restaurant located near the Binnenhof

The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings that has been the meeting place of the States-General, the parliament of the Netherlands, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries.

het torentje - work area of the Prime-Minister of the Netherlands

Built mostly in the 13th century, the complex originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland.

For lunch we went to a pub called September in central The Hague where we munched on some bitterballs and lattes.

one of highest rated oliebollen (fritters) in Holland

We ran into an oliebollen vendor on the street which was selling one of best oil-fritters in the country (rated by a popular national newspaper).

In the late afternoon we paid a visit to palace Noordeinde. The palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. It has been used as the "working palace" for King Willem-Alexander since 2013.

de passage in The Hague

After some brief shopping in the downtown core we headed for the Prisoner's Gate (Gevangenpoort), a former gate and medieval prison on the Buitenhof. From 1420 until 1828, the prison was used for housing people who had committed serious crimes while they awaited sentencing.

We went for dinner at Umami, a shared dining restaurant, next to the Buitenhof. They were serving delicious tapas styled dishes.

getting a drink in The Hague

To top of the night, we had a few drinks at local pub VaVoom before we headed back to Zoetermeer. Den Haag, another fantastic city in Southern-Holland!