63km (43 miles) SW of Amsterdam

Sophisticated, cosmopolitan, this city makes an easy day trip from Amsterdam, but some travelers prefer The Hague as a quieter, more relaxed sightseeing base. 's-Gravenhage, to give the city its full name, or more commonly Den Haag, is a center of style and culture, full of parks and elegant homes, and with an 18th-century French look that suits its role as a diplomatic center and the site of the International Court of Justice, housed in the famous Peace Palace. (An ironic counterpoint to The Hague's genteel image is that supporters of local soccer club FC Den Haag have the worst reputation in the country for hooliganism.)

Amsterdam might be the national capital, but The Hague (which is Zuid-Holland province's capital), has always been the seat of national government and the official residence of the Dutch monarchs, whether or not they chose to live there. Three royal palaces are in the city.

In the beginning, the counts of Holland chose a small village named Haag (from the Dutch for "hedge") as the setting for their hunting lodge, which was why the town was later called 's-Gravenhage (the count's hedge). By the time Count Willem II was crowned King of the Romans in 1248, in the German city of Aachen, his father, Floris IV, had already begun construction on the Binnenhof, which Willem quickly appointed as the official royal residence. Based on that defining year, the city celebrated its 750th anniversary in 1998.

Willem's son, Floris V, added the massive Ridderzaal (Hall of the Knights), expanding a complex that today is the heart of the country's government. The lush greenery of its original hunting grounds remains in the large parks, gardens, and woods that continue to thrive within the city limits.

The old fishing village of Scheveningen, a short tram ride from the city center, has blossomed into a popular seaside resort.