The Golden Stork

The Hague is most famous as the home of the UN International Court of Justice and the seat of the Netherlands' government. This lively, historical city also has a medieval old town, plenty of galleries, shopping for every budget and lots of festivals year round. Brave a dip in the North Sea or dine on the summer speciality of pickled herring at the coast. It's definitely worth making time to explore this multicultural Dutch city.

Hostels in The Hague usually have social areas where you can meet other travellers. Sample craft beers in a hostel's jazz bar or chat late into the night round an outdoor fire pit. There's also a hostel in a historic house with a restaurant and riverfront terrace. You can explore with new friends on a free walking tour or cook together in shared kitchens. The Hague hostels have both dorms and private rooms available, and in most hostels you'll have free Wi-Fi too.

The central district is The Hague Centre, where you'll find palaces alongside theatres and top-end restaurants. A few minutes south is Schilderswijk. In this former artist district, all the streets are named after painters and have giant replicas of their works on walls. For retail therapy, head to Statenkwartier. This neighbourhood is home to the 1km long Frederik Hendriklaan Street, lined with fashion shops. In Hofkwartier, behind Noordeinde Palace, there are independent boutiques hidden down medieval alleys.

Home to the Netherlands' House of Parliament, the 13th-century Binnenhof is one of the oldest in-use government buildings in the world. To see the art of the Dutch Golden Age, spend a few hours at the Mauritshuis Museum. Housed in a specially built museum, Panorama Mesdag is an unusual 360-degree panoramic painting of Scheveningen fishing village. The modern Scheveningen, a 20-minute train ride away, is now a bustling seaside town complete with a pier and bungee jump. Kijkduin is a quieter beach popular for swimming, walking or simply sipping coffee on the terrace.

You can fly to either Rotterdam The Hague Airport or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, both of which are a 45-minute train ride from the city. There are two railway stations: Central Station for trains to Germany, and Den Haag HS Station for trains to France, Belgium and Amsterdam. To get around, you can use the tram system. Tickets are available by the hour or as a day pass. On Friday and Saturday nights, there's a night bus from the Binnenhof.