The Hague and Eindhoven

[Citybreak1]

I’ve done most of the major 3 cities in Holland and yet to do these two are they worth a visit? The Hague station looks very nice and has a nice Westfield mall. Is there anything else to see? Ideally I’d do both in a day visit a few hours in each.

 

[Amalie]

The Hague (Den Haag,) has plenty of lovely things to see. Some nice museums I would recommend are: Mauritshaus (an art museum hosting the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring), Louwmanmuseum (if you happen to also love cars,) and Escher in de paleis.

Particularly in note, since we’re on the UK rail forums is the Haags Openbaar vervoer museum (The Hague public transit museum.) it’s only open on Sunday afternoons, but has an extensive tram collection and also offers a ride in a historic tram through the city. The volunteers that work there are all knowledgeable about what’s what and are happy to open up trams being exhibited to let you see inside. Also feel free to ask even the most technical of questions about any of them.

I visited Eindhoven during Dutch design week, where the biggest highlight was the graduate show of its design academy. The city itself isn’t particularly my most favorite to be honest. It’s not bad, just modern and somewhat boring. It does have a few nice museums, but the Philips museum was a letdown.

I assume that you’ve visited Amsterdam and Rotterdam as you mentioned having visited the big 3, the last one of which I can’t guess. But some other nice cities to visit, to give you some more options are: Leiden, Delft, ‘s-Hertogenbosch/Den Bosch, Utrecht (particularly for the national railway museum, take a train to the museum itself!), and Haarlem

 

[johncrossley]

I’ve done most of the major 3 cities in Holland and yet to do these two are they worth a visit? The Hague station looks very nice and has a nice Westfield mall. Is there anything else to see? Ideally I’d do both in a day visit a few hours in each.

Transport wise Den Haag has trams and Eindhoven has a BRT system.

 

[Citybreak1]

The Hague (Den Haag,) has plenty of lovely things to see. Some nice museums I would recommend are: Mauritshaus (an art museum hosting the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring), Louwmanmuseum (if you happen to also love cars,) and Escher in de paleis.

Particularly in note, since we’re on the UK rail forums is the Haags Openbaar vervoer museum (The Hague public transit museum.) it’s only open on Sunday afternoons, but has an extensive tram collection and also offers a ride in a historic tram through the city. The volunteers that work there are all knowledgeable about what’s what and are happy to open up trams being exhibited to let you see inside. Also feel free to ask even the most technical of questions about any of them.

I visited Eindhoven during Dutch design week, where the biggest highlight was the graduate show of its design academy. The city itself isn’t particularly my most favorite to be honest. It’s not bad, just modern and somewhat boring. It does have a few nice museums, but the Philips museum was a letdown.

I assume that you’ve visited Amsterdam and Rotterdam as you mentioned having visited the big 3, the last one of which I can’t guess. But some other nice cities to visit, to give you some more options are: Leiden, Delft, ‘s-Hertogenbosch/Den Bosch, Utrecht (particularly for the national railway museum, take a train to the museum itself!), and Haarlem

Thanks yes I visited Utrecht 2 years ago

 

[rvdborgt]

I’ve done most of the major 3 cities in Holland and yet to do these two are they worth a visit? The Hague station looks very nice and has a nice Westfield mall. Is there anything else to see? Ideally I’d do both in a day visit a few hours in each.

Eindhoven is in Holland like Glasgow is in England...
(Sorry, could not resist)

 

[Cheshire Scot]

In Den Haag I would recommend Madurodam which not only depicts in miniature many buildings and sights from around the Netherlands but also has an extensive 'model' rail network around much of the site including models of several stations and a ide mix of passenger and freight trains in constant operation. Our most recent of several visits was in 2023.

Holland's highlights and heritage | Madurodam

What makes the small country of the Netherlands so great? Discover this at Madurodam, a city full of beautiful miniatures, activities and attractions.

www.madurodam.nl

Trains | Madurodam

Step into a world of mini stations and mega excitement. Watch the high-speed train zoom by (yes, it’s really fast!). Discover miniature versions of famous

www.madurodam.nl

 

[Amalie]

All in all, I feel like you’ll have more than enough to do in Den Haag alone to easily fill up a whole day. If you somehow run out of things, I’d recommend visiting the nearby city of Delft instead.

 

[AndrewE]

Eindhoven is in Holland like Glasgow is in England...

I dunno, but I am aware that there are provinces of North Holland and South Holland, and the other Netherlanders object to being lumped in with them (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands) So not unlike the Scots, Welsh and Irish being annoyed at being assumed to be English rather than British.

My only knowledge of Den Haag was a visit by sea to Scheveningen harbour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheveningen which is/was a part of Den Haag. We tied up there in the old fishing harbour for a night and had a very nice pickled herring from a stall on the harbour wall as a starter for our evening meal. I couldn't face it "as is" - just eaten hanging by its tail - but in a bread roll with lots of chopped onion it was very good.

 

[eastwestdivide]

As for Eindhoven, I’ve only changed trains there, never visited. But I accidentally visited the Den Haag suburbs when following directions from some German cyclists who had no idea where they were going.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My only knowledge of Den Haag was a visit by sea to Scheveningen harbour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheveningen which is/was a part of Den Haag. We tied up there in the old fishing harbour for a night and had a very nice pickled herring from a stall on the harbour wall as a starter for our evening meal. I couldn't face it "as is" - just eaten hanging by its tail - but in a bread roll with lots of chopped onion it was very good.

A tram ride out to Scheveningen is certainly an enjoyable morning or afternoon out.

 

[bspahh]

But some other nice cities to visit, to give you some more options are: Leiden, Delft, ‘s-Hertogenbosch/Den Bosch, Utrecht (particularly for the national railway museum, take a train to the museum itself!), and Haarlem

I really like Delft. Its a bit like the nice bits of Amsterdam, but smaller, quieter, cheaper, and with fewer grotty bits.

Breda is also nice.

 

[dutchflyer]

Den Haag (Officially ´s Gravenhage) is actually the 3d largest city in Nederland. Utrecht is 4th and vies that position now with new town Almere.
Den Haag (in common: ut hagie, I live just 2 KMs away from it) has 2-and always had- 2 main stations. Hollandse Spoor (named after the company from days of yore) on the ´old´ line AMSterdam-Rotterdam is a classic building and (long ago named Staatsspoor) Central, as end station for direction Gouda-Utrecht, this is rather new and and all-in design integrated with tram/light rail and interurban busstation on top. It has 2 lines transformed from former NS/trains: to Rotterdam as 2nd line via Pijnacker, now a RET-metro and the ´Krakeling´ -a cookie named after that form, to Zoetermeer, now HTM-light rail as a normal railline turned out to be to heavy.
That mall (why would an englishman visit a Mall owned by that country?) is actually NOT in ´t Hagie, but Leidschendam, formerly named Leidsenhage, and to get there go by Light Rail, its some 20/25 mins away. Den Haag is also famous for its large and near daily market, along tram 11. For another brand of shopping.

 

[rvdborgt]

Den Haag (Officially ´s Gravenhage)

's-Gravenhage

Hollandse Spoor

Hollands Spoor (which actually makes sense because "spoor" is neutral)

 

[m0ffy]

The Westfield mall in Leidschendam is actually quite good (my daughter loves Peppa Pig World of Play in particular, and there is both a Jumbo and an AH), but I wouldn’t traipse to Den Haag just for that. Scheveningen is worth a visit as said up thread - you’ll find interesting museums and a pleasant beach.