This small, laid-back city along the coast hosts some of the most important national and international political organs, but is hardly known throughout the world. While people normally associate The Netherlands with Amsterdam, a lot of international young people are attracted by the charm, peacefulness and beauty of The Hague.
In the 50-ies the indo community from The Hague was responsible for the emerging rock 'n roll scene and famous bands like Golden Earring, Kane, Anouk and Shocking Blue have made The Hague synonymous with mainstream rock.
Although nowadays the city is not what it used to be for nightlife and music, there are several interesting art and music events. The underground scene is difficult to discover but certainly alive. The Hague has an active underground scene. It has electro labels that are known worldwide, such as BUNKER and in creative 'breeding centres' - e.g. PIP - some progressive, experimental, arty events are organized by and for young people.
Many 'Hagenezen' (people from The hague) would never swap The Hague for Amsterdam. They prefer The Hague for being small, quiet, clean, green and full of parks, beaches, dunes and they are also proud of their 'down to earth' mentality, in opposition to Amsterdam, which a lot of them find pretentious, hip, trendy, dirty and expensive.
As some say: Amsterdam attracts tourists because of coffee shops and the red light district but the Hague instead attracts more tourists because of the beautiful long stretches of beach.
However, there are a lot of hidden beaches behind the dunes that are 'tourist free' and serve as a haven for chilled out surfers and the likes. In Scheveningen there are several places with amazing beach views, good food and nice events.
The Escher museum in The Hague might not be as popular as the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, but certainly will freak out everyone that has decent interest in art.
What you'll love about The Hague is the beach! A splendid place to visit both in summer and winter. There is the boulevard, at Scheveningen, but even better are the beaches south of Scheveningen. Walk along the coast, have some tea at one of the beach houses and continue walking the dunes.
The city centre offers lots of little shops and a fine range of good restaurants. Moreover there are some extraordinary museums with splendid collections. A city where you can easily spend a day or three.
