Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by grateful nations who found
d iplomat ic peace here, f from
exquisite Japanese tapestries,
to a Hunga r ia n Zsol nay-t i le
fountain, to French inlay floors.
On the required tour, you'll see
the judicial chambers and the
grandly decorated halls, and learn
how modern nations attempt to
resolve their disputes here instead
of on the battlefield. Don't con-
fuse this place with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia, which is not open to the public.
Cost and Hours:
€5; required guided tours Mon-Fri at 10:00,
11:00, 14:00, and 15:00, plus an additional tour at 16:00 May-Sept;
closed Sat-Sun, when court is in session, or if there's an event at
the palace; you must reserve in advance and bring your passport
(required to enter), tel. 070/302-4137, www.vredespaleis.nl.
Getting There:
Take tram #1 directly from Delft, or tram #10
or bus #24 from The Hague's Central Station, and get off at the
Vredespaleis stop (right in front of the palace).
Scheveningen
—This “Dutch Coney Island,” with its broad
sandy beach, is at its liveliest on sunny summer afternoons (but
is dead when the weather
cools). Its biggest appeal is
watching urbanites from
The Hague and Delft
enjoy a day at the seashore.
Dominating the scene is
the long double-decker
pleasure pier, with shops
down below, a boardwalk
up top, and a bungee-jumping pavilion at the far end. A café-lined
promenade stretches along the sand. Take northbound tram #1
from Delft or from the street in front of The Hague's TI, or take
tram #9 from The Hague's Central Station. Get out at Kurhaus
(one stop before the end of the line) and follow signs for
Boulevard/
Strand
and
Pier
.
By the way, if you can't pronounce this tongue-twisting name
(roughly SKHHHEH-veh-ning-eh), you're not alone. In World
War II, Dutch soldiers would quiz suspicious visitors on how to
pronounce this name as a test to determine who was Dutch-born
and ferret out potential German spies.
Madurodam
—The mini-Holland amusement park, with min-
iature city buildings that make you feel like Godzilla, is fun
for kids (adults-€13.75, kids 3-11-€9.75, daily mid-March-June
