When the sun comes out, the whole city heads for the sand. This list puts the North Sea beaches next to the indoor pools and water parks we lean on when the wind picks up or the summer turns gray, so you can pick by the weather. Each card shows where it is and what it costs before you pack the towels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zwembad De Schilp is a public swimming pool run by Optisport, inside a sports center with a large indoor sports hall. The main pool is 25 by 15 meters with six lanes.
Older kids can ride the 35-meter slide, while a separate toddler pool has sprayers and a small slide of its own. There is also a whirlpool for warming up between swims.
Tikibad is the indoor water park at Duinrell, with 21 waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a whirlpool and Turkish baths, in water above 30°C.
Playa, the kids' water park, has child-friendly slides, a heated toddler pool and water no deeper than 15 cm, so small children can splash without a swimming certificate. In summer an outdoor area adds a heated pool, five slides and a water play house.
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.
Het Hofbad is the city's most modern municipal pool, built around a 50-meter competition pool used for water polo and squad training, with four springboards and a 5-meter diving tower.
Families mostly head for the large recreation pool, which has a 60-meter slide, a whirlpool and a wild-water creek. A separate toddler pool and a teaching pool for lessons sit alongside.
Zwembad Het Zuiderpark is one of the city-run indoor pools, with three separate pools: a competition pool for laps, a teaching pool used for swimming lessons, and a leisure pool with a 40-meter slide. There is also a whirlpool.
When the sun comes out, the whole city heads for the sand. This list puts the North Sea beaches next to the indoor pools and water parks we lean on when the wind picks up or the summer turns gray, so you can pick by the weather. Each card shows where it is and what it costs before you pack the towels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zwembad De Schilp is a public swimming pool run by Optisport, inside a sports center with a large indoor sports hall. The main pool is 25 by 15 meters with six lanes.
Older kids can ride the 35-meter slide, while a separate toddler pool has sprayers and a small slide of its own. There is also a whirlpool for warming up between swims.
Tikibad is the indoor water park at Duinrell, with 21 waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a whirlpool and Turkish baths, in water above 30°C.
Playa, the kids' water park, has child-friendly slides, a heated toddler pool and water no deeper than 15 cm, so small children can splash without a swimming certificate. In summer an outdoor area adds a heated pool, five slides and a water play house.
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.
Het Hofbad is the city's most modern municipal pool, built around a 50-meter competition pool used for water polo and squad training, with four springboards and a 5-meter diving tower.
Families mostly head for the large recreation pool, which has a 60-meter slide, a whirlpool and a wild-water creek. A separate toddler pool and a teaching pool for lessons sit alongside.
Zwembad Het Zuiderpark is one of the city-run indoor pools, with three separate pools: a competition pool for laps, a teaching pool used for swimming lessons, and a leisure pool with a 40-meter slide. There is also a whirlpool.
