DAY 10 / SATURDAY / APRIL 24
THE HAGUE AND MAURITSHUIS
OVERNIGHT IN THE HAGUE,
THE NETHERLANDS
Mauritshuis
The Hague, on the North Sea, is the seat of government and the royal residence of
the House of Orange.
In the middle of the Old Town stands the Binnenhof (Inner Court), centuries
old administrative center of The Netherlands, the hub of The Hague and of the nation.
Both chambers of the Dutch Parliament have their meetings here and it is also the
location of several ministries.
On the east side of the Square is the Ridderzaal, a hall from the time of Count
Floris V, used for audiences, conferences, and the opening of Parliament by the Queen.
At Christmas 1295, Floris invited 40 of his richest noblemen to dinner, and after a
sumptuous feast, knighted them and gave each a coat-of-arms.
From the Square there is a beautiful view of the Vijver, the picturesque old
ornamental lake reflecting the long façade of the Binnenhof buildings.
Enjoy a tour of Mauritshuis with a local docent.
Mauritshuis houses the "royal cabinet of paintings" of the Princes of Orange,
with works by the most famous Dutch Masters: Rembrandt (the largest collection in the
world), Johannes Vermeer, Hans Holbein, Frans Hals, Anthony van Dyke, as well as the
less known
Paulus Potter .
The city center of The Hague is a paradise for shopaholics. Molenstraat and Prinsestraat
are home to a host of curiosity shops, specialty shops and boutiques.
In the area of the Noordeinde and a bit further on, in the Denneweg, are art galleries
and antique shops. The Passage, Hoogstraat and Venesstraat
feature beautiful boutiques and the larger department stores.
