I’ve told my friends who live in Rotterdam and Amsterdam that The Hague is underrated many times. Sure, it may not have some of the events Rotterdam has, or Amsterdam’s night scene. But ‘The City of Peace’ makes up for it in amazing landscapes and sceneries.

Nothing proves the last statement more true than these photos of The Hague from photographer extraordinaire Kevin Coellner. Not a stranger to DutchReview, Coellner comes back this time to show us why The Hague should be on your list of ‘cities to visit’ in The Netherlands. From a bright city center to the almost surreal shores of Scheveningen at sunset, these photographs reveal the sometimes underestimated beauty this city has to offer.

So do yourself a favour and turn your laptop’s resolution up, and start looking for the next train to The Hague, cause you’re in for a treat.

Disclaimer: Watching these photos of The Hague may make you want to stop what you’re doing and get on the next train to the mooie stad achter de duinen.

The Hague’s City Center: A vivid carousel of life and lights in the middle of the city

Few things take more courage than riding your bike through the busy ‘Grote Marktsraat’ on a korting weekend at the Bijenkorf. High-end stores and eager shoppers flock the city center almost every weekend. If they’re not distracted by the 50% discounts, they’re probably looking at how the streets are painted with lights early in the evening.

The Binnenhof and Lange Voorhout: Old beauty portrayed anew

Near the Bijenkorf and the city center, you’ll find the Binnenhof and Hofvijver Lake. The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings that houses – among other things – the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Next to it, you can catch the sunset’s reflection on the adjacent Hofvijver Lake.

Not far from there, you find the Lange Voorhout plein. A square covered in trees that outline the scenery with different colours throughout the year is surrounded by famous buildings like the Hotel Des Indes and the Escher Museum.

The Hague’s Skyline: The most underrated ever?

Let’s a step out of the city and admire what this city’s skyline has to offer. Coellner does a great job of showing a side of the city only admirable from afar. Taking a step out of the city, allows you to see the gorgeousness of this city’s buildings and landscapes.

Up-close and personal: Some candid close-ups of The Hague.

Besides having a good eye for beauty from afar, Coellner did a great job to capture The Hague’s close-range beauty. From Holland Spoor’s tramlines to the Japanese Garden in Clingendael Park, the options of cool pictures are many in this city.

Surreal panoramas in The Hague’s shore: Gorgeous Scheveningen.

Finally, we have the shore of The Hague with the unpronounceable name. If I had to pick a favourite spot in The Hague, odds are I’d choose Scheveningen. I’ve seen a few sunsets that come close to some of the views you get in this part of The Hague.

Maybe it’s the Ferris wheel, or maybe it’s the cheap haring, but the beautiful landscape you can get there is one of a kind. This set of photos of The Hague has to end with fireworks and with I consider the best part of this city… Maybe second, cause there’s also a church filled with trampolines… But that’ll be for another article.

The Hague: Underestimated beauty?

It’s easy to disregard the political capital of The Netherlands when it comes to places to go to on the weekends. But I think that if there’s one thing we can learn from these photos of The Hague, is that this is a city you do not want to miss out on. Colourful markets, creative initiatives and a beautiful shore, The Hague is definitely a top contender in the ‘best big city debate’.

If you want to check out more cool photos of The Hague, be sure to check out our previous article on Coellner’s photos. You can also check out Dutch Review’s Instagram or Coellner’s main page, both of which have really cool photos of The Hague in 2019.

What do you think of The Hague? What are other spots you recommend? Let us know in the comment section below!

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated in June 2020 for your reading pleasure.

Image: Kevin Coellner/Supplied