I spent a whirlwind day in Den Haag, but all I saw just makes me want to return.  The Netherlands offers easy and quick access to cities across the country with their train system. During my time there, I stayed in Utrecht, but with a warm day in the forecast, I wanted to experience a little of what the Netherlands coast has to offer.

I’m used to seaside towns that are built up around the beaches, so I was pleasantly surprised that Den Haag offers a full city experience beyond the coast.

The main train station is a quick walk to the shopping area of Den Haag’s center.  The pedestrian streets and open air cafes allow people to enjoy the mix of neo-renaissance, art nouveau and modern architecture of the city.

At the center of Den Haag’s shopping experience is the 1882 De Passage shopping arcade. The glass covered shopping street was built to mirror the high end shopping experience of Paris. The natural light highlights the carved facades of the shops and the tile patterns of the floor.  Architect Bernard Tschumi’s 2014 design of the New Passage section was inspired by the classic Dutch ceramics from nearby Delft.

Most of Den Haag’s pedestrian streets are classic in their architecture, but there are also hidden gems to find in the side alleys. Hanging art installations, whimsical murals, and side street cafes make exploring the city streets a journey in itself. For instance in 2020 the city commissioned The Hague Street Art (THSA) to decorate Achterom street. Street artists Marilou Klapwijk, SOGO, Dünya Atay and Zesta&Page33 created what is now known as Cat Street.

After enjoying a coffee and some window shopping, I headed to my museum of the day: Escher in Het Paleis.  In essence this is two museums in one. Both M.C Escher’s artwork and the palace it is housed in are worth a visit.  The palace on Lange Voorhout became the winter home to the Queen Mother, Queen Emma in 1896. The palace stayed in the royal family until it was donated to the city in 1990.  Throughout the rooms, informational plaques speak to the purpose of each room and highlight distinct features like the chandeliers, floor, and ceiling designs.

Since the main staircase was turned into an optical illusion with Queen Emma’s renovation in 1901, it seems fitting that this would be the home to Dutch artist M.C. Escher’s museum. Escher started his career in architecture and travelled extensively in southern Europe, taking in the cultural traditions of Moorish art. These passions resonate through his exploration of tessellations and printmaking.  The museum honors both his work and modern Islamic artists who have been continuing their artistic traditions.

The top floor of the museum gives visitors a glimpse into the world of optical illusions – mirrored balls, distorted perspectives, immersive videos helped me to envision Escher’s artistic process.

After grabbing a sandwich to go from a very popular Gastronomia Lussa, I jumped on the trolley to spend the afternoon at Scheveningen Beach.  Since it is easily accessible by public transportation, the one kilometer long Scheveningen’s seaside boulevard is a busy place.  If I had more time I would’ve loved to bike away from the built up promenade to the quieter beaches that lie along this 12 kilometer stretch and hike some of the trails in the neighboring sand dunes.

The Scheveningen Beach Pier has been a Netherlands staple since 1900. While the actual pier has been replaced and repaired over time, it still draws a crowd of people looking to take in the beach from the sea. The two tiered pier extends 400 meters into the sea. Both levels feature food and tourist stands leading to the ferris wheel, zip line, and bungee jumping stations.  While the infrastructure felt a little worn down, it also gave off classic old school beach vibes.

I’ve always been a fan of found treasures and recycled art. Seeing people take familiar and worn down items and creating beautiful things makes me happy.  Just to the right of the pier is one of these places.  TrashUre Hunt was established to take on the challenge of reducing litter. However, they have inspired people to help them out by creating treasures out of the trash.  The space is filled with trash art, interactive games, and bins for people to add their own collected beach trash to the collection. While their open-air museum ‘Of Found Treasures’ is at the pier, their sustainable art is on display all along the 11 kilometer beach boardwalk.

On either side of the pier are rows of beach bars for all types of people. Some offer swinging seats, bright colors, casual loungers, and firepits while others offer sophisticated dining experiences. While I was only there during the day, I could see that there are even movie set ups and live music spots ready to welcome the night time crowd.

I can imagine that in the heart of the summer, this whole beach is hopping with people swimming, shopping, drinking, surfing, and enjoying the soft sands of the Netherlands coast.  I would love to come back and experience a little of this magic.

Based on my July 2026 visit.