The Hague sits right on the North Sea, and the tram runs straight to the sand. Scheveningen is the busy end, with the pier, the boulevard, pancake houses and rainy-day backups a short walk from the beach. Kijkduin and the dunes to the south are quieter: wide beaches, wooded paths and grazing Highland cattle. Here's what we checked, from the SkyView gondolas to the big dune at Westduinpark.
A wide, sandy North Sea beach in front of the Kurhaus and the 382-meter Scheveningen Pier, a two-deck pier with a bungee jump on top. Kids dig and paddle at the waterline, and older ones can try a lesson at the surf school on Strandweg. Beach clubs line the sand, with the boulevard's restaurants just behind.
SkyView de Pier is a 50-meter Ferris wheel on the Pier of Scheveningen, set 8 meters above the North Sea. Its 36 gondolas are closed and air-conditioned, and each group rides alone. From the top, kids can pick out the beach, the boulevard, the sea and the city in a full 360-degree view. It works best as a calm add-on to a beach day, not a thrill ride.
An aquarium with 13 themed areas, from the starfish and sharks of the North Sea to the poison frogs and stingrays of the Amazon. The centerpiece is a glass tunnel where sharks and rays swim overhead.
Kids also meet otters and penguins, look into a rock pool of sea urchins and shark eggs, and walk through Sea at Night, a dark reef room of glowing ocean life.
A small indoor LEGO attraction on the Scheveningen boulevard, near the Kurhaus and the Pier, rather than a theme park. Kids ride the Imagination Express scoring points with a magic wand, watch a film in the 4D cinema, play in the DUPLO Park and Pirate Island soft play, and train in the NINJAGO zone. MINILAND rebuilds The Hague's landmarks from more than 1.5 million bricks.
Muzee tells the story of Scheveningen's fishing village and seaside resort from inside an 1877 school building. Kids can walk through a replica of an old village street, look over model ships from the fishing fleet, and see the straw beach chairs of early beach days.
The sea hall holds hundreds of shells, crabs, deep-sea squids and fossils millions of years old. The guides are former fishermen.
Museum Beelden aan Zee is a sculpture museum built into the dunes of Scheveningen, beneath the 1826 Pavilion Von Wied, with a view of the sea. Inside are changing exhibitions and a rotating selection from the collection, from small figures to monumental pieces.
Outside are sculpture terraces and patios, and on the boulevard 23 fairy-tale sculptures by Tom Otterness fill a large outdoor terrace.
Play & Bounce is an indoor play hall inside the Scheveningen Pier, with two zones. The soft play park, for kids up to 10, has climbing blocks, giant soft Lego bricks, a ball pit and slides.
The trampoline park has eight large trampolines plus four side trampolines, so kids can bounce off the walls too. It pairs well with a morning on the beach below.
A pancake and grill restaurant on the Scheveningen Pier, with views over the North Sea. The menu runs from plain pancakes with syrup to apple, Nutella and fruit versions, plus poffertjes and waffles, and the kitchen makes gluten-free and lactose-free pancakes.
A play corner with toys and videos keeps kids busy while parents finish eating. The restaurant also hosts birthday parties where each child decorates their own pancake.
A family pancake restaurant on the Scheveningen boulevard, a short walk from the beach. The menu runs from kids' pancakes and poffertjes to waffles, soups and salads, and there are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free and vegan pancakes.
Inside, a play corner has coloring pages, pencils and soft seats, with room for strollers between tables. The big terrace faces the boulevard and is covered and heated when needed.
Oma Toos is a Dutch pancake house on Scheveningen's second inner harbor, lined with Delft blue tiles and hundreds of small lights. The kitchen makes pancakes and poffertjes (mini pancakes) to a grandma's recipes, plus stamppot, stews and a kids' menu.
In the middle of the room stands a playhouse shaped like a canal house, where kids run in and out while parents eat. The terrace faces the marina.
't Waaygat is one of The Hague's municipal city farms, on Havenkade by Scheveningen harbor. Kids walk past the pens and stalls to see farm animals up close, including cows, goats and chickens, and a small play area with climbing bars sits on the grounds.
Madurodam is a miniature park of famous Dutch landmarks built at 1:25 scale. Kids can watch container ships move through the port of Rotterdam, spot the Cube Houses and walk past Amsterdam canals lined with hundreds of bicycles.
Hands-on spots include water play, model trains, wind power and port traffic games, plus playgrounds. Indoor attractions such as New Amsterdam, where kids help fire the cannons, make it work in rain.
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.
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.
De Blinkerd is a municipal indoor pool inside a sports center that also has a sports hall. A 25-meter lane pool handles laps and lessons, and a separate shallow pool is for splashing around. Heated benches and a whirlpool sit alongside.
Besides free swim sessions, the pool runs swimming lessons and fitness classes such as aqua jogging.
A 600 m2 covered ice rink set up each winter on the Kurhausplein, the square in front of the Kurhaus. Rental skates run from size 27 to 47, with double-blade skates for the smallest feet, and there are skating aids and penguin frames for first-timers to hold on to.
The same team runs a second, outdoor rink on the Boulevard with a view of the sea.
Kijkduin is the smaller of The Hague's two seaside resorts, a sand beach below a long line of dunes on the city's southwest side. A boulevard runs along the top of the dune, with shops on the town side and cafes facing the sea.
Several beach entrances lead down to the sand, and the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan, a beachcombers' museum, sits by entrance 5.
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.
't Speelduin is a natural playground set in the sand of the Westduinpark dunes, just behind the Duindorp neighborhood. The 50-meter play area is mostly wooden: a big frame with slides, a cable run, balance beams, climbing bridges, a tire swing and tree trunks to clamber over. Toddlers get their own sandpit with little houses and a low bridge, and benches line the edge for parents.
Zuiderstrand is the stretch of North Sea beach between Scheveningen harbor and Kijkduin, backed by the protected Westduinpark dunes. Walking and cycling paths cross the dunes to several beach access points, past World War II bunkers and grazing Scottish Highland cattle.
At access point 5 stands a beachcomber's shed decorated with washed-up finds, known as the Strandjuttersmuseum.
The Hague sits right on the North Sea, and the tram runs straight to the sand. Scheveningen is the busy end, with the pier, the boulevard, pancake houses and rainy-day backups a short walk from the beach. Kijkduin and the dunes to the south are quieter: wide beaches, wooded paths and grazing Highland cattle. Here's what we checked, from the SkyView gondolas to the big dune at Westduinpark.
A wide, sandy North Sea beach in front of the Kurhaus and the 382-meter Scheveningen Pier, a two-deck pier with a bungee jump on top. Kids dig and paddle at the waterline, and older ones can try a lesson at the surf school on Strandweg. Beach clubs line the sand, with the boulevard's restaurants just behind.
SkyView de Pier is a 50-meter Ferris wheel on the Pier of Scheveningen, set 8 meters above the North Sea. Its 36 gondolas are closed and air-conditioned, and each group rides alone. From the top, kids can pick out the beach, the boulevard, the sea and the city in a full 360-degree view. It works best as a calm add-on to a beach day, not a thrill ride.
An aquarium with 13 themed areas, from the starfish and sharks of the North Sea to the poison frogs and stingrays of the Amazon. The centerpiece is a glass tunnel where sharks and rays swim overhead.
Kids also meet otters and penguins, look into a rock pool of sea urchins and shark eggs, and walk through Sea at Night, a dark reef room of glowing ocean life.
A small indoor LEGO attraction on the Scheveningen boulevard, near the Kurhaus and the Pier, rather than a theme park. Kids ride the Imagination Express scoring points with a magic wand, watch a film in the 4D cinema, play in the DUPLO Park and Pirate Island soft play, and train in the NINJAGO zone. MINILAND rebuilds The Hague's landmarks from more than 1.5 million bricks.
Muzee tells the story of Scheveningen's fishing village and seaside resort from inside an 1877 school building. Kids can walk through a replica of an old village street, look over model ships from the fishing fleet, and see the straw beach chairs of early beach days.
The sea hall holds hundreds of shells, crabs, deep-sea squids and fossils millions of years old. The guides are former fishermen.
Museum Beelden aan Zee is a sculpture museum built into the dunes of Scheveningen, beneath the 1826 Pavilion Von Wied, with a view of the sea. Inside are changing exhibitions and a rotating selection from the collection, from small figures to monumental pieces.
Outside are sculpture terraces and patios, and on the boulevard 23 fairy-tale sculptures by Tom Otterness fill a large outdoor terrace.
Play & Bounce is an indoor play hall inside the Scheveningen Pier, with two zones. The soft play park, for kids up to 10, has climbing blocks, giant soft Lego bricks, a ball pit and slides.
The trampoline park has eight large trampolines plus four side trampolines, so kids can bounce off the walls too. It pairs well with a morning on the beach below.
A pancake and grill restaurant on the Scheveningen Pier, with views over the North Sea. The menu runs from plain pancakes with syrup to apple, Nutella and fruit versions, plus poffertjes and waffles, and the kitchen makes gluten-free and lactose-free pancakes.
A play corner with toys and videos keeps kids busy while parents finish eating. The restaurant also hosts birthday parties where each child decorates their own pancake.
A family pancake restaurant on the Scheveningen boulevard, a short walk from the beach. The menu runs from kids' pancakes and poffertjes to waffles, soups and salads, and there are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free and vegan pancakes.
Inside, a play corner has coloring pages, pencils and soft seats, with room for strollers between tables. The big terrace faces the boulevard and is covered and heated when needed.
Oma Toos is a Dutch pancake house on Scheveningen's second inner harbor, lined with Delft blue tiles and hundreds of small lights. The kitchen makes pancakes and poffertjes (mini pancakes) to a grandma's recipes, plus stamppot, stews and a kids' menu.
In the middle of the room stands a playhouse shaped like a canal house, where kids run in and out while parents eat. The terrace faces the marina.
't Waaygat is one of The Hague's municipal city farms, on Havenkade by Scheveningen harbor. Kids walk past the pens and stalls to see farm animals up close, including cows, goats and chickens, and a small play area with climbing bars sits on the grounds.
Madurodam is a miniature park of famous Dutch landmarks built at 1:25 scale. Kids can watch container ships move through the port of Rotterdam, spot the Cube Houses and walk past Amsterdam canals lined with hundreds of bicycles.
Hands-on spots include water play, model trains, wind power and port traffic games, plus playgrounds. Indoor attractions such as New Amsterdam, where kids help fire the cannons, make it work in rain.
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.
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.
De Blinkerd is a municipal indoor pool inside a sports center that also has a sports hall. A 25-meter lane pool handles laps and lessons, and a separate shallow pool is for splashing around. Heated benches and a whirlpool sit alongside.
Besides free swim sessions, the pool runs swimming lessons and fitness classes such as aqua jogging.
A 600 m2 covered ice rink set up each winter on the Kurhausplein, the square in front of the Kurhaus. Rental skates run from size 27 to 47, with double-blade skates for the smallest feet, and there are skating aids and penguin frames for first-timers to hold on to.
The same team runs a second, outdoor rink on the Boulevard with a view of the sea.
Kijkduin is the smaller of The Hague's two seaside resorts, a sand beach below a long line of dunes on the city's southwest side. A boulevard runs along the top of the dune, with shops on the town side and cafes facing the sea.
Several beach entrances lead down to the sand, and the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan, a beachcombers' museum, sits by entrance 5.
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.
't Speelduin is a natural playground set in the sand of the Westduinpark dunes, just behind the Duindorp neighborhood. The 50-meter play area is mostly wooden: a big frame with slides, a cable run, balance beams, climbing bridges, a tire swing and tree trunks to clamber over. Toddlers get their own sandpit with little houses and a low bridge, and benches line the edge for parents.
Zuiderstrand is the stretch of North Sea beach between Scheveningen harbor and Kijkduin, backed by the protected Westduinpark dunes. Walking and cycling paths cross the dunes to several beach access points, past World War II bunkers and grazing Scottish Highland cattle.
At access point 5 stands a beachcomber's shed decorated with washed-up finds, known as the Strandjuttersmuseum.
