The Hague
The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage) is located in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is the seat of the Dutch government, and the residence of the Queen, although Amsterdam is officially the capital city. The municipality has about 470,000 inhabitants, the urban area about 650,000. The Hague also includes Scheveningen beach, the most popular beach of the Netherlands, as well as Kijkduin.
Internationally, The Hague is probably best known as a place where many international courts are located. Among these are the International Court of Justice, which settles disputes between countries, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and since 2004 the controversial International Criminal Court. Thanks to these institutions, but also because of numerous European institutions, multinational headquarters (Shell) and embassies, The Hague has a distinct international character, one that is noticeably different from Amsterdam's. Rather than having many foreign tourists and fortune-seekers attracted by a reputation for excitement and liberalism, The Hague has more expatriates coming in because of employment at these institutions. Its foreign residents are thus generally better-paid and relatively older than Amsterdam's. Because of this and because of the fact that large part of the local economy is based the presence of countless government institutions, The Hague has a reputation as a wealthy, conservative and somewhat sedate city.
Indeed The Hague has none of the edginess and excitement of Amsterdam. As a city it provides well for its inhabitants, however, with large areas of green, 11 km of coastline, attractive shopping streets and an extensive cultural life. Rather than having canals like other Dutch cities, The Hague has streets and avenues which are just a little bit wider than those in the rest of the country, and instead of the typical Dutch renaissance 17th century step-gabled houses, it has 18th century mansions in grand baroque and classicist styles. Indeed, the city is considered by many as the most stately of the country. Other than in the city center, this is especially noticeable in the posh 19th century neighborhoods in between the city center and the dunes, with their splendid eclectic and art nouveau architecture.
As one goes away from the sea, however, the neighborhoods tend to become less well-off. The dividing line between good and bad areas is drawn by some at Laan van Meerdervoort, which runs parallel to the seaside. While this may not be entirely accurate, the city is quite unique in having such a clear geographical divide between rich and poor areas. The areas away from the sea have much less in the way of greenery. The one centrally located park in the poorer area, Zuiderpark, also used to contain the stadium of the local football team ADO Den Haag. Its supporters were among the most notorious hooligans of the country, the local low-class ADO fan or 'Haagse Harry' is as much a Hague stereotype as the posh old lady or the stuffy civil servant.
To tourists, The Hague offers great architecture, some of it picturesque, such as the medieval government complex of the Binnenhof, some grand and stately, like the mansions on Lange Voorhout. The museums in the city rank among the best in the country, and to food aficionados The Hague arguably offers the country's best Indonesian cuisine, due to large-scale immigration from this former Dutch colony.
