The Hague backs straight onto the North Sea dunes, and its old forests and estate parks reach right into town. That means sand hills to climb, play forests where kids can leave the path and build huts, deer and Highland cattle to spot, and wide lawns to run between ponds and rose beds. Here's what we checked, from the Meijendel dunes to the play castle in the Zuiderpark.
Meijendel is the largest continuous nature area in South Holland: woods, high dunes and infiltration lakes run by water company Dunea. De Tapuit visitor center is the starting point, where kids look for water creatures in the aquarium, meet the dune animals and test what they know about drinking water.
Marked trails start here, one passing the Monkeybos, where kids may leave the path to play.
Monkeybos is a natural play forest in the Meijendel dunes, a short walk from De Tapuit, the visitor center of water company Dunea. Kids let off steam among the trees while parents rest nearby.
The Vossentocht, a trail of 10 small nature tasks for the youngest, starts beside it. The Duincampus, with three themed outdoor routes for ages 6 to 12, begins at De Tapuit.
Westduinpark is a protected dune landscape of 235 hectares (counting the neighboring Bosjes van Poot), with sandy slopes, small dune oak groves and lookout points over 30 meters high. The tallest dune, De Vulkaan, reaches 33 meters.
Scottish Highland cattle graze the open dunes and may cross the paths. Several WWII Atlantic Wall bunkers sit in the sand, and paths lead over the dunes to the beach.
Haagse Bos is a centuries-old forest in the middle of the city, protected since the Act of Redemption and the oldest protected forest in Western Europe. Kids build their own huts in its two play forests, and deer rest in the Koekamp among ponds and winding paths.
There are open lawns for lounging, and a skate track by the Malieveld with bumps for skaters and BMX riders.
Speelbos Robin Hood is a natural play forest in the Haagse Bos, run by Staatsbosbeheer. Kids follow an adventure route over rope and suspension bridges, fly along a cable slide, swing through the trees on ropes and take on a climbing wall.
For a slower pace there is a big rope swing to lie back in and a tree trunk where kids sit and tell each other stories.
Clingendael is a landscaped estate park with woodland paths, an old Dutch garden of box hedges and flower beds, a curving 18th-century fruit wall and a dogs' cemetery under a linden tree. Its Japanese Garden, laid out over a century ago by Baroness Marguérite van Brienen after a trip to Japan, is the largest in the Netherlands, with stone lanterns, a thatched pavilion and fragile moss.
Zuiderpark is a 1920s people's park laid out around a large pond, with three big play lawns covering 14 hectares. Around them sit a six-meter play castle, a western playground, a nature playground, a skate park, a city farm, mini golf, a riding stable and an indoor pool.
Kids can hunt for the Ot en Sien statues, climb the De Villierskopje lookout hill and ride a model steam train.
Madestein is a large recreation area on the city's southwest edge, laid out from 1969 on old polder land across from Loosduinen. Together with Ockenburgh and De Uithof it forms one long green belt.
Inside is Heempark H.J. Bos, an educational garden that recreates the plant life of different dune landscapes, and the rebuilt foundations of a 13th-century stone house, left on view for visitors.
Scheveningse Bosjes is a wooded park on old dune land between the city center and Scheveningen, with rolling paths for walking, cycling and horse riding. Kids head for the big sand playground, with a skate park next to it. A large pond, the Waterpartij, sits on the sea side, and Madurodam borders the park to the north. Monuments and sculptures line the paths, including a Claes Oldenburg artwork.
Westbroekpark is an 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen, built around one big central lawn. Its showpiece is the International Rosarium, where about 20,000 rose bushes bloom in summer on some 300 beds.
A trail of 17 sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists runs through the park, including a bronze Puss in Boots for kids to find. Two World War II bunkers still stand in the grounds.
Park Vreugd en Rust is the public garden of an old Voorburg estate, laid out around 1830 with curving ponds and winding paths. Kids head for the deer enclosure, which has grown into a small animal park, and hunt for the sculptures dotted through the grounds. The former orangery now houses Brasserie De Koepel, and an ornate iron gate from the 1910 Brussels World's Fair marks the Parkweg entrance.
Wassenaarse Slag is a sandy North Sea beach at the end of a road through the dunes, part of the unbroken shore that runs from Scheveningen to Katwijk.
Behind it lie the dunes of Meijendel. The Wassenaarse Slag entrances lead into the Ganzenhoek woods in the north of the reserve, with many walking paths, and Dunea, which manages the dunes, points visitors here for a quiet walk.
The Hague backs straight onto the North Sea dunes, and its old forests and estate parks reach right into town. That means sand hills to climb, play forests where kids can leave the path and build huts, deer and Highland cattle to spot, and wide lawns to run between ponds and rose beds. Here's what we checked, from the Meijendel dunes to the play castle in the Zuiderpark.
Meijendel is the largest continuous nature area in South Holland: woods, high dunes and infiltration lakes run by water company Dunea. De Tapuit visitor center is the starting point, where kids look for water creatures in the aquarium, meet the dune animals and test what they know about drinking water.
Marked trails start here, one passing the Monkeybos, where kids may leave the path to play.
Monkeybos is a natural play forest in the Meijendel dunes, a short walk from De Tapuit, the visitor center of water company Dunea. Kids let off steam among the trees while parents rest nearby.
The Vossentocht, a trail of 10 small nature tasks for the youngest, starts beside it. The Duincampus, with three themed outdoor routes for ages 6 to 12, begins at De Tapuit.
Westduinpark is a protected dune landscape of 235 hectares (counting the neighboring Bosjes van Poot), with sandy slopes, small dune oak groves and lookout points over 30 meters high. The tallest dune, De Vulkaan, reaches 33 meters.
Scottish Highland cattle graze the open dunes and may cross the paths. Several WWII Atlantic Wall bunkers sit in the sand, and paths lead over the dunes to the beach.
Haagse Bos is a centuries-old forest in the middle of the city, protected since the Act of Redemption and the oldest protected forest in Western Europe. Kids build their own huts in its two play forests, and deer rest in the Koekamp among ponds and winding paths.
There are open lawns for lounging, and a skate track by the Malieveld with bumps for skaters and BMX riders.
Speelbos Robin Hood is a natural play forest in the Haagse Bos, run by Staatsbosbeheer. Kids follow an adventure route over rope and suspension bridges, fly along a cable slide, swing through the trees on ropes and take on a climbing wall.
For a slower pace there is a big rope swing to lie back in and a tree trunk where kids sit and tell each other stories.
Clingendael is a landscaped estate park with woodland paths, an old Dutch garden of box hedges and flower beds, a curving 18th-century fruit wall and a dogs' cemetery under a linden tree. Its Japanese Garden, laid out over a century ago by Baroness Marguérite van Brienen after a trip to Japan, is the largest in the Netherlands, with stone lanterns, a thatched pavilion and fragile moss.
Zuiderpark is a 1920s people's park laid out around a large pond, with three big play lawns covering 14 hectares. Around them sit a six-meter play castle, a western playground, a nature playground, a skate park, a city farm, mini golf, a riding stable and an indoor pool.
Kids can hunt for the Ot en Sien statues, climb the De Villierskopje lookout hill and ride a model steam train.
Madestein is a large recreation area on the city's southwest edge, laid out from 1969 on old polder land across from Loosduinen. Together with Ockenburgh and De Uithof it forms one long green belt.
Inside is Heempark H.J. Bos, an educational garden that recreates the plant life of different dune landscapes, and the rebuilt foundations of a 13th-century stone house, left on view for visitors.
Scheveningse Bosjes is a wooded park on old dune land between the city center and Scheveningen, with rolling paths for walking, cycling and horse riding. Kids head for the big sand playground, with a skate park next to it. A large pond, the Waterpartij, sits on the sea side, and Madurodam borders the park to the north. Monuments and sculptures line the paths, including a Claes Oldenburg artwork.
Westbroekpark is an 18-hectare park between Madurodam and Scheveningen, built around one big central lawn. Its showpiece is the International Rosarium, where about 20,000 rose bushes bloom in summer on some 300 beds.
A trail of 17 sculptures by 20th-century Dutch artists runs through the park, including a bronze Puss in Boots for kids to find. Two World War II bunkers still stand in the grounds.
Park Vreugd en Rust is the public garden of an old Voorburg estate, laid out around 1830 with curving ponds and winding paths. Kids head for the deer enclosure, which has grown into a small animal park, and hunt for the sculptures dotted through the grounds. The former orangery now houses Brasserie De Koepel, and an ornate iron gate from the 1910 Brussels World's Fair marks the Parkweg entrance.
Wassenaarse Slag is a sandy North Sea beach at the end of a road through the dunes, part of the unbroken shore that runs from Scheveningen to Katwijk.
Behind it lie the dunes of Meijendel. The Wassenaarse Slag entrances lead into the Ganzenhoek woods in the north of the reserve, with many walking paths, and Dunea, which manages the dunes, points visitors here for a quiet walk.
