During World War II, parts of the The Hague were occupied by the Germans, and in March 1945, the Royal Air Force bombed the Bezuidenhout district. The target was an installation of V-2 rockets in a nearby park, however, due to navigational errors, the bombs fell on a heavily populated part of the city. Over 500 people died and the scars in the city can still be seen today. After the war, the city was rebuilt, although many people subsequently moved out to the neighbouring towns.
The Hague is the seat of government, but, somewhat anomalously, not the capital of the Netherlands, a role set aside by the Dutch constitution for Amsterdam. As such, the city has fantastic government buildings. It is home to over 60 foreign embassies, the International Court of Justice and is the capital of the Province of Zuid-Holland.
The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea and comprises two distinct beach towns. The main beach resort of Scheveningen, in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists and young people. With 10 million visitors a year it is the most popular beach town in the Benelux. Most of our groups stay in Scheveningen, giving them a wonderful combination of sights to see. The modern seaside resort has a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The harbour is used both for fishing and tourism.
The view of Scheveningen from the top of the lighthouse is breathtaking. The Scheveningen Museum organises special tours to the lighthouse on Wednesday and Saturday afternoon.
What better way to become acquained with the city and Scheveningen than to take the Royal Tour, a guided coach tour starting in Scheveningen, then on to Panorama Mesdag (see below), and on into the city to see the Peace Palace accommodating the International Court of Justice and several other palaces and embassies, including Huisten Bosch Palace where Queen Beatrix resides.
