The Hague

A Mauritshuis morning and a Scheveningen sunset in The Hague

Be at the Mauritshuis when it opens and give it two hours for Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring before the groups arrive, then walk round the Hofvijver for the view of the Binnenhof towers. On day two, take tram 1 towards Scheveningen, stopping at the Peace Palace, and end the day on the beach at sunset.

Walk round the Hofvijver for the classic view of the Binnenhof towers reflected in the pond, then cut across the Plein, past the statue of William of Orange, to the lime trees of Lange Voorhout. Escher in Het Paleis is here, in a former royal winter palace, with its chandeliers and impossible staircases. After lunch on the Plein, walk past Noordeinde Palace, where the King works, and on to Panorama Mesdag to stand on its fake dune. Book a rijsttafel for the evening, then finish with a drink on the Grote Markt.

On day two, take tram 1 towards Scheveningen and stop at the Peace Palace, whose visitor centre explains the courts inside. Walk on to Kunstmuseum Den Haag for the Mondrians, from his early windmills to Victory Boogie Woogie. In the afternoon, ride on to the seafront: walk the pier, look into the Kurhaus, then follow the boulevard north to the harbour for herring or kibbeling at a fish stall. On a clear evening, stay for the sunset over the North Sea before the tram back.

Rijsttafel, toko lunches and Scheveningen herring

Indonesian food is The Hague's local table, because many Dutch-Indonesian families settled here after Indonesia's independence. Order a rijsttafel for the full spread or eat at a toko, a small Indonesian shop-restaurant. For fish, the Scheveningen harbour stalls sell raw Hollandse Nieuwe herring.

Order a rijsttafel for the full spread, a dozen or more small dishes set around rice: rendang beef, satay with peanut sauce, sambals, fried egg and coconut. For lunch, a toko (Indonesian deli) sells nasi rames, a plate of rice with several toppings, and slices of spekkoek, the many-layered spice cake. The Tong Tong Fair on the Malieveld, held for decades in early summer, is the big celebration of this culture, with food stalls and music.

Fish comes from Scheveningen. The harbour stalls sell raw Hollandse Nieuwe herring with chopped onion in early summer, plus kibbeling, battered pieces of white fish. The Haagse Markt, one of the largest open-air markets in Europe, is the place for Surinamese, Turkish and Moroccan snacks among the produce.

In the centre, the streets around Wagenstraat and the Gedempte Gracht form a small Chinatown with bilingual street signs; it is not much to look at, but the Chinese cooking is solid. For classic Dutch food near parliament, try the brown cafes on the Plein side, and in the evening move to the Grote Markt, where the terraces of several bars run into one another.

King's Day, Prinsjesdag, Vlaggetjesdag and a windy coast

The coast keeps The Hague's weather moderate and windy, with summer highs of about 22°C and nights around 13°C, so pack a layer for the beach. The calendar follows the court and the sea: King's Day on 27 April, Vlaggetjesdag at Scheveningen harbour, and Prinsjesdag on the third Tuesday of September.

January and February see highs of 6C to 7C with lows near 1C to 2C. Autumn is the wet season: October and November each bring about 90 mm of rain, while April is the driest month at roughly 42 mm.

The calendar follows the court and the sea. King's Day on 27 April turns the centre orange with street markets and music. In June, Scheveningen marks the arrival of the new herring with Vlaggetjesdag, when the boats in the harbour are dressed in flags. Beach clubs open along the Scheveningen boulevard from spring to autumn, and on hot weekends the trams to the coast run full.

The city's most particular event is Prinsjesdag, on the third Tuesday of September. The King rides in a golden or glass coach from Noordeinde Palace to read the government's plans for the year, and crowds line the route from early morning. Hotels fill, and some central streets close. In winter, the Mauritshuis and the Kunstmuseum are quieter, and the Plein's cafes move indoors; it is a good time for a museum weekend with a windy walk on the empty beach.