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Beckoning the legacy of the past or creative pursuits of the present, the global mosaic of culinary delight, or a place unhurried by pace, Den Haag (Hague) is a quaint city in the Netherlands, often brushed away by dazzling Amsterdam.
Even though Amsterdam is worth a visit in winter, Hague can be considered over it as well. The city's splendor and its perfect balance of bustle and harmony highlight it for the visitors. Moreover, incredible nightlife, stylish shopping, and entertainment venues lend it a contemporary vibe. Although, find out why in winter especially, Hague persists in being the perfect Amsterdam neighborhood.
Why Visit Hague In Winter
Winter remains magical in Haag owing to the weather as well as the string of activities it brings along. While the temperature drops around 4 degrees Celsius to 1 degree, Haag is replete with festive vibes as well as winter events. As it is on the west coast facing the North Sea, Hague shares a vast coastline refraining from the brutal winters.
By default, the charming homes in Hague seem to be like gingerbread houses and their beauty enhances by the festive vibes in winter. The holiday markets are a grand affair with stalls galore offering festive decor, local food items, mulled wine (gluhwein), souvenirs, and more.
The Royal Christmas Fair runs from December 8th to December 24th, but this isn't the only time to enjoy winter in Hague. Just have one weekend to spare in Hague? Fret Not! Even a short itinerary leaves room for seeing the essentials.
Activities In The Hague In Winter
Event At Scheveningen Boulevard
If one is in Hague around winter, head towards Scheveningen Boulevard Event. With countless Attractions, amazing eateries & cultural events, markets, concerts, and golden sands, Scheveningen is a popular district of Hague. Truly, a magical event in winter, “Scheveningen Boulevard” is where visitors can tour around in a carriage royally and be in awe with twinkling lights all over.
Love Dancing? Join the ballerina in a snow globe or enjoy the ice skating show. Evenings can be quite entertaining with Human Discoball or heading to Lucifer’s Part fire act on North Boulevard. There is also Foodhall Scheveningen where travelers can enjoy the authentic dishes from 16 different kitchens in the hall.
- Dates: 6th to 7th January
- Cost: Free
"Cool Event" At Scheveningen
To witness the ultimate winter sports experience, travelers should attend the “Cool Event” at Scheveningen. There are ice skating rinks with an admission fee of 7.50 Euros available for ice skaters. These rinks are in operation from 17th November to 22nd January.
Be a spectator of the solo skating show with illuminated wings around the 13th and 14th of January. Also, there are ice sculptures around to admire the work of art from 2nd December to 22nd January.
- Dates: December and January
- Cost: 7.50 to 12.5 Euros
Winter Weeks at Madurodam
Madurodam is a theme park which is located around 15 minutes north of the city center and is renowned for scale model replicas of famous Dutch landmarks. The park comprises three themed areas: VindingRijk which focuses on Dutch architecture and entertainment, WaterRijk where visitors can set the steam engine in motion along with friends and family and StedenRijk with old town centers as the focus of the park.
Apart from this, there are ice skaters over frozen canals in winter as well as food and gift carts scattered all over. During winter weeks especially, there are activities such as treasure hunts for participation where Santa makes appearances in between.
- Date: 24th Dec to 9th January
- Cost: 17 Euros to 22.50 Euros
Visit Museum & Art Galleries
A vast collection of artwork by the renowned artist, M.C Esher can be witnessed at “Escher in Het Paleis.” The artist was a master in “Optical Illusion” and his famous prints are Belvedere, Drawing Hands, Waterfall, and Ascending and Descending.
With over 120 prints in the museum, the artwork comprises detailed woodcuts, depictions of nature and landscapes, his unique skills of morphing fishes into birds, making water flow upstream, and early Italian landscapes.
This house is located in the Lange Voorhout Palace adjacent to the Christmas market and the entire tour requires around 1 to 2 hours.
- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (11.00 AM To 5.00 PM)
Museum of Mauritshuis
One of the renowned museums of Hague is Mauritshuis, and it displays the Royal Cabinet of paintings. Dating back to 1820, it has Dutch Golden Age and Flemish paintings hailing from the 17th century.
The museum houses two historical buildings: "Mauritshuis" which is a city palace on the Plein in The Hague and "Prince William V Gallery" located at the Buitenhof. If one visits the former, make sure to witness masterpieces such as “Girl With A Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer and Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt.
- Timing of Mauritshuis : Monday (1.00 PM to 6.00 PM) Tuesday - Sunday (10.00 AM to 6.00 PM)
- Timing of Prince William V Gallery: Monday (Closed) Tuesday - Sunday (12.00 PM to 5.00 PM)
Food Scenes In Winter
Winter markets and seasonal carts can be witnessed during winter in Hague. Stroopwafel, a widely famous pastry of the Netherlands, Poffertjes, baby pancakes available at street stores, Oliebollen, deep-fried balls of dough, Hagelslag, a Dutch chocolate sandwich are a few winter special desserts.
Other local delicacies are Kroket, a deep-fried roll with meat stew filling, Patat, fries with either salad dressing, cheese, or mayo, Hachee, a stewed broth and Stamppot, a marinated old-style Dutch dish with mashed potatoes and veggies.
The buzzing culinary scene can be experienced at a few famous outlets such as Restaurant n, a Spanish-themed hidden gem, Osteria Vincenzo’s, an Italian restaurant, Botanica, a place for veggie lovers with its sleek interiors, STAN, popular for late-night dinner and drinks, Habesha Savanna Eetcafe and many more.
Nevertheless, apart from Hague and Amsterdam, there are quite a few Dutch cities worth visiting as well!