What To Do In The Hague

WHAT TO DO IN THE HAGUE - Visiting The Hague was full of surprises. I only knew it as the location of the International Criminal Court but there is so much more to see! It was a day of discovering all that The Hague has to offer.

We took the train from Rotterdam for a day trip to The Hague. We started our visit at Mauritshuis, a museum with a collection bursting with paintings by Dutch masters. We saw Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson, which is much larger than I thought it’d be. I had no idea he was only twenty-five when he painted this world-famous masterpiece in 1632. I can remember learning about it as a kid in school. The most famous painting in the museum, however, is Vermeer’s The Girl With A Pearl Earring. Before arriving in The Hague I didn’t know it was here! Arguably one of the most recognizable paintings in the entire world, it’s even more incredible in real life. Vermeer has been called the master of light and, when you see this painting, you immediately understand why. The girl has an inscrutable expression on her face, which reminds me of the Mona Lisa. Her eyes follow you as you walk back and forth across the room. To me it feels very contemporary even though it was painted in 1665. Seeing this was not only a highlight of The Hague but The Netherlands overall.

After Mauritshuis we headed to a gallery with a totally different artwork: Escher in Het Palais. It’s a gallery entirely devoted to the work of artists and graphic designer M.C. Escher. The building itself is part of the attraction because it’s the former winter palace of Queen Mother Emma of The Netherlands. Escher is well-known for his drawings that require a second look. He really plays with reality and it was interesting to see the progression of his art.

After seeing such different types of art we headed to the International Criminal Court. I couldn’t have visited The Hague without making a visit here because, to me, they’re inseparable. It’s a place where individuals who have been charged with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity - the gravest of charges - come to be tried by the international community. There are public galleries where you can go and listen to open sessions to see what’s going on. There’s also an exhibition about the history of the ICC: why it exists, what it does, when it was formed, who it’s funded by, and who it serves. We learned a lot and I’m glad I got to see it.

Next we arrived at the pier - just in time for magic hour as the sun was going down. Everyone in The Netherlands told us that the beach and pier in The Hague is fabulous and a really popular spot, especially in the warmer months. There’s a large Ferris wheel, hotels, restaurants, shops, and lots of activities for children and families. It was lovely to see this other side of the city and enjoy the fresh sea breeze.

We were hungry and looking forward to a cozy dinner and a chance to warm up after spending the day looking around. We found exactly what we were looking for at Jamey Bennet, back in the city centre. The idea is that you order a bunch of plates and share them. Everything was delicious but our favourites were the ceviche, salmon sashimi and dessert. There was a fire and having a long leisurely dinner was the perfect way to top off the day.

I had such a great time visiting The Hague and loved discovering all the wonderful things you find there. So happy we got to see it all! Did anything take you by surprise? Leave a comment below and tell me!

For more information about visiting The Hague check out: https://denhaag.com/en and use #thisisthehague if you post!

Subtitles available in English, Dutch and Spanish! Click the 'CC' button (bottom right).

Polaroid designed by Kstudio / Freepik.

---

ABOUT ME
I'm a Canadian travelling around the world with my boyfriend, Marc. I left my home, bought a one way ticket, and don't have a plan. Come along for the adventure! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more videos by clicking that gorgeous red 'subscribe' button. Don't forget to hit the little bell beside it to receive notifications of new uploads (three times per week)!

---

USE THIS CODE FOR $50 AIRBNB TRAVEL CREDIT:
www.airbnb.com/c/emccurdy3

---

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
INSTAGRAM = https://instagram.com/eileenaldis (@eileenaldis)
TWITTER = https://twitter.com/eileenaldis (@eileenaldis)
FACEBOOK = https://www.facebook.com/eileenaldis (@eileenaldis)

GEAR USED TO MAKE VIDEOS
*Small camera: https://goo.gl/mPRPfW
*Medium camera + lens: https://goo.gl/qS8eCN
*Big camera: http://amzn.to/2oY3jvw
*Flying camera: http://amzn.to/2pXTPBN
*Camera on a stick: http://amzn.to/2oofUJN
*Underwater camera: http://amzn.to/2psMEBq
*Tripod: http://amzn.to/2oDVVSr

Disclaimer
*If you purchase something using one of the marked links, I make a small percentage from that sale. This doesn't affect my opinions and it helps my channel so I can make more videos :)

Видео What To Do In The Hague канала Eileen Aldis