Palace Garden at Noordeinde

The Palace Garden, known in Dutch as the Paleistuin, lies behind Noordeinde Palace on Prinsessewal, between the Royal Stables, the working palace and the Royal Archives. It is one of the most peaceful spots in the centre of The Hague, a romantic park with flowerbeds, fountains, hedgerows and ponds, shaded trees and open lawns. The garden was laid out in the early seventeenth century by Frederik Hendrik for his mother and was originally known as the Princesses Garden. In the twentieth century it passed to the municipality, which is why anyone can walk in today, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. Locals use it as a living room: office workers eat lunch on the benches, children run on the grass and couples pause on the paths. For a visitor, the garden is a pause button. The Hague's museum quarter is rich but tiring, and a visit to the Mauritshuis, the Escher museum and the Panorama Mesdag can leave you saturated with art. Ten or twenty minutes in the garden resets the day, and it costs nothing. It is also an excellent place for a picnic: several caterers in the nearby Court Quarter sell picnic baskets, so you can assemble lunch and eat it among the flowerbeds. The garden is small enough to see in half an hour but pleasant enough to linger in for much longer.

The best approach is to treat the garden as part of a walk rather than a destination on its own. Start with a look at Noordeinde Palace from the street, which is the working palace of the King, then follow the lane beside the Royal Stables toward Prinsessewal and enter the garden from the back.

Wander the paths to see the fountains, the ponds and the clipped hedges, and keep an eye out for the quieter corners where the hedges create small enclosed spaces. Spring and early summer bring the strongest planting, while autumn brings colour in the trees and winter gives a stripped-back, atmospheric version of the same layout.

The garden is open every day from sunrise to sunset, so winter visits are short and summer visits can stretch into the evening. There is no ticket, no queue and no booking, which is rare in a city where most of the headline sights need a timed slot. Facilities inside are limited, so plan to eat and drink at the cafes and shops of the surrounding Court Quarter, and bring a picnic if the weather allows.

Accessibility information is not published for the garden, so if you use a wheelchair or have limited mobility, check the paths with the tourist information service before you rely on them.

Pair the garden with Noordeinde itself, the elegant shopping street lined with galleries, antique dealers and boutiques, or with the Mauritshuis and the Hofvijver, which are a short walk away. It is a natural stop for couples, solo travellers and anyone who wants a calm half hour in the middle of a busy sightseeing day. In wet weather it is less appealing, but on a dry day, especially in late spring, it is one of the most rewarding free things to do in The Hague.