City with two faces

> The Hague in the Netherlands is known for its vastly contrasting halves, which extend to the way its people live

down in the world since then, with only the refurbished Kurhaus grand hotel still reflecting the ambience of the times.

Hagenaars these days prefer Wassenaar and Noordwijk, seaside resorts lying to the north of The Hague itself.

Another statue in the city recalls more turbulent times.

Johan de Witt (1625-1672) looks down over Groen Zoodje square. He ran the affairs of state for a full 20 years during the Dutch Golden Age, but when war broke out in 1672 and the Dutch found themselves illprepared, he and his brother were lynched.

Their body parts were sold as souvenirs. A finger and a tongue are still on display in the city’s Historical Museum.

Visitors are naturally drawn to the ‘better’ part of the city close to the coast, but as with many European cities, an excursion to the other side of town is recommended.

The swamp offers for example ‘de Haagse Markt’ – one of the largest covered markets in Europe in Schilderswijk, one of the poorest quarters in the whole of the Netherlands with an overwhelmingly immigrant population – Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese.

The best way to see the other part of the beautiful “city behind the dunes” is to hire a bicycle and head for the beach, riding, for example, along Denneweg with its shops and cafes.

The Hague reveals its discrete beauty in the Archipelbuurt, the Statenkwartier and the inner city, with entire streets redolent of the spirit of the Belle Epoque.

Afternoon tea should be taken in Hotel des Indes, whose guest list includes names like Empress Eugenie of France, President Paul Kruger of Transvaal, Sheik Feisal of Saudi Arabia, Mata Hari, Emperor Haile Selassie, Anna Pavlova and Josephine Baker.

A stone’s throw away is the Binnenhof, from where the Netherlands is governed.

In typical Dutch style, there are no imposing facades, barriers or guards in resplendent uniforms.

“It’s just a courtyard with a pump,” as Dutch author Harry Mulisch once described it. – dpa

(left) The Hague has numerous notable landmarks, such as (from top left) the government building in Binnenhof; de Haagse Markt; and the lovely and historical Hotel des Indes.