The Hague - A Constitutional Capital

The Hague is the seat of government of the Netherlands, being where the Queen of the country, as well as the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer, and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer are located. Due to its importance and history, this is one of the musts in the list of cities to visit of any tourist who travels to The Hague for a vacation.

The origins of The Hague as a city can be traced back to the year 1248, when it was officially founded by the Count of Holland William II. The first castle built in this city was constructed by request of this Count in a forest area by the sea. William II was expected to be the Holy Roman Emperor and he intended to live in that castle when that happened, although he never could due to the fact that he died in a battle before being coroneted. Nowadays, this construction is where the Queen gives her most important speeches as well as it is used for many other important political events.

Despite of the fact that it was considered a city since 1248, The Hague did not receive city rights until some centuries later, due to the fact that the government wanted to keep it as small as possible. The first city walls of La Hague were allowed to be built in the 16th century, although the city inhabitant's opted for building a city hall instead. That decision would cause, as a consequence, the easy occupation of the city by Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War.

Besides its historical appealing, The Hague also offers a variety of other attractions, such as for example, two beach towns. The most attractive of these two beach towns or resorts is Scheveningen. Scheveningen, located towards the north western side of The Hague, is a very popular beach resort which, every year, receives large amounts of tourists and young local people. According to the statistics, this summer resort receives around 10 million visitors per year, being this way one of the most popular beach spots in the country.

When they travel to The Hague, tourists can meet a large number of unique cultural buildings. Among these cultural buildings, we can name, for example, the Mauritshuis where a variety of paintings from artists such as Rembrandt, Paulus Potter or Vermeer can be met; the Madurodam, which houses many scale models of Dutch landmarks; and the Escher Museum, located in the building that used to be the Royal Palace in the past.

The Hague is so respected in the world of international politics that it is home of more than 150 international organizations. Among these organizations, we can name, for example, the International Court of Justice, the Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the European Police Office, and the International Criminal Court, the Carnegie Foundation, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, and the Eurojust, among many others.