Destination DEN HAAG

THE CITY BY THE SEA

The Hague has a lot to boast about, the city hasn’t changed for centuries. It has plenty to keep the visitor occupied, it’s the only Dutch seaside city, home to a stunning Royal residence, and affords a conveyor belt of historic avenues and courtyards. It’s the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam and located in the west of the Netherlands, near the coast of the North Sea.

The city has a superior and extremely diverse range of cultural activities dominated by its array of remarkable museums featuring classic, modern, contemporary art, paintings, sculptures and photos. Paris has the Mona Lisa and The Hague is rightly proud of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, she is therefore known as the Mona Lisa of the North. It is definitely a city of contrasts.

One of my main reasons of travelling to The Hague was my new found fascination with De Stijl, I am intrigued by the ideology of the influential art movement founded in 1917 in Leiden. I had encountered its asymmetric designs on a previous visit to Utrecht and the Rietveld Shroder House. I had read that there are plenty of prominent architectural highlights within The Hague, especially ideas that arose from architect Berlage, the spiritual father of modern architecture in the Netherlands. I was here to discover more, immerse in the cultural side of the city whilst as always using the simple bicycle as tool of exploration.

I travelled with Easyjet from London Southend to Amsterdam and then from Schiphol Airport to Den Haag via train. At Schiphol, the train station is situated underneath the Schiphol Plaza in the central hall of the terminal, where there are ticket desks and ticket machines. A oneway ticket (enkele reis) costs €9,30. Direct trains to Den Haag CS run every fifteen minutes and the journey takes around 30 minutes.

The weather was dismal as I emerged from the train station, the rain creating monumental puddles, everywhere consumed by a deluge of gloom. My hotel Parkhotel (Molenstraat 53, 2513 BJ, The Hague; +31 (0) 70 362 43 71) is located in the historical heart of the city, the Hofkwartier. The district is a great place to shop surrounded by atmospheric streets dominated by colourful gables which undeniable capture the imagination and rekindle a bygone era. The interior is a wonderful mix of art-deco with a hint of contemporary design. My room was spacious and after a much needed change of clothing I hit the streets on a basic bike arranged by the hotel.

Thankfully the rain had abated and stray sunrays pierced through the narrow streets, I was heading for the main tourist information office located on the Spui. In my welcome pack I had received a

Scot Whitlock

Twitter: cadencemag

Website: cadencemag.co.uk

Author, ‘Simple Words from the Saddle, Simply More Words from the Saddle & The Way of St James’

Twitter: @saddlescot

wonderful guide on ‘Cycling the Hague, The influence of De Stijl on Hague architecture’, how appropriate. The start of this abstract adventure was outside the tourist office, the guide concentrates on seventeen buildings which optimise the De Stijl period with the Gemeentemuseum as the highlight.

With helpful GPS which can be downloaded from www.denhaag.com and simple route directions, there was no way I could get lost, or so I thought. I set off, dodging trams and negotiating the locals on foot towards the Grote Markt. The structures earmarked in the guide are a mix of world renowned and recognised buildings, like the Royal Academy of Art and the Gemeentemuseum and simple parking garages, office buildings, churches and private residence.

Even if De Stijl is not ‘your cuppa tea’ ,the guide gives you a structured tour of the city, negotiating parks, dissecting the historic quarter and touching the sleepy residential parts of the city.

As I approached the Gemeentemusuem (Stadhourderslaan 41, 2517 HV, The Hague) I was taken aback by its vibrant façade, the expressive yellow brickwork demonstrates that this is most definitely for decorative rather and constructive purposes. The building is home to the biggest Mondrian Collection on the planet and one of the largest De Stijl collections. Designed by H.P Berlage it’s a pinnacle of modern architecture. The permanent collection contains modern art, fashion, music, decorative arts, and a print room with about 50,000

drawings. It was refurbished in the 1990’s and is a glorious introduction to the delights of contemporary art.

From the museum I headed east towards several private residences, the wide roads quiet. I encountered several villa type properties all designed in the ‘New Building’ style, a stream of architecture in which functionality and standardisation were important. As expected I managed to get lost and found myself heading even further east, after several detours and orientation malfunctions I found myself back in the centre and yearning a much needed coffee stop. Lola Coffee & Bikes (Noordeinde 91, 2514 GD Den Haag; +31 (0) 61 471 58 54) is recognised as one of the best coffee shops in The Hague, with the owner a bike fanatic. Here you can book a fun bike tour of the city, buy or even repair your bike. The interior is dominated by two wheels, and unsurprisingly I spent much longer than expected devouring cake and ear-wigging the general (always enthusiastic) cycling chit-chat.

The afternoon was now progressing, however I wanted to see one last attraction before returning. The Mauritshuis (Plein 29, 2511 CS, The Hague; +31 (0) 70 302 34 56). Paris has the Mona Lisa and The Hague is rightly proud of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, she is therefore known as the Mona Lisa of the North. The Royal Picture gallery is located in a beautiful 17th century palace and has the highest number of masterpieces per SQ Metre in the Netherlands. The building is dominated by Vermeer with thirty of his works in the collection and is centrally located next to the Binnenhof and near to the stunning famous pond, the Hofvijver.

That evening I had a sumptuous dinner at Little V (Rabbijn Maarsenplein 21, 2512 HJ, The Hague; +31 70 392 1230) which offers a wondrous introduction to the culture of Vietnam. The cuisine is a glorious mix of many culinary traditions, China, Thailand, India and Indonesia which offers a selection of versatile and healthy food, the relaxing mix of traditional and modern designed was refreshing. As I waited for my food to arrive, I made a simple note on a paper serviette ‘pedal to the coast’, my plan for tomorrow was set.

The city possess an even more dynamic persona as the sun fades, the mixture of night sounds seep from every crevice, immersion is unavoidable. The potency and hustle and bustle of socialising is undeniably infectious. As I headed back for the night, away from enthusiastic partying, I was exposed to a totally

different side to the city; narrow alleys hiding artisan cafes, decorative facades sympathetically at ease with their surroundings. I realised that if you are prepared to explore then this city has a calm, almost self-satisfied side.

After an early breakfast I set out towards the sea, the weather was behaving, chinks of blue interloping amidst the cloud cover. The sea and its 11 kilometres of coastline is only 15 minutes away by bike, the comparison from chic boutiques and refined masterpieces to barefoot in the sand is astonishing. I was heading towards Scheveningen, once a simple fishing village of only 900 inhabitants, it has evolved into the Netherlands most famous seaside resort offering an abundance of attractions, boulevards and the usual restaurants and cafes.

My route through the city streets was relatively unhindered and in no time I was pedalling on a designated cycle path through the greenery of Scheveningse Bosjes. As with all Dutch cities the bike is the king, everywhere two wheels dominate, resigning the car to a mere chugging inconvenience.

As I approached the sea, I spied a dramatic Ferris wheel dominating the coastline. The uninterrupted views of the horizon were beautiful, the seafront offers the usual sights and attractions,

bars, restaurants, shops. I was drawn to the Pier which is acknowledged as one the most famous attractions on the Dutch coastline. Following a complete renovation it’s now home to a plethora of great eateries and places to kick back and relax.

I locked my bike and wandered aimlessly, the Pier is accessible every day, free of charge, from 10am, and it is a great place to just sit, watch and drink coffee. After two cups with panoramic views of the now angry sea it was unfortunately time to retrace my route back to a more urban setting.

For more information see Visit Holland