The Hague

The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is the seat of the Dutch government, but not the national capital, this being a role reserved for Amsterdam. The Hague is also the location of the primary judicial institutions of the United Nations. Unlike the nearby cities of Leiden and Delft, The Hague is not a walled city laced with canals. Instead, it has spacious streets lined by 18th-century houses. City life concentrates around the Hofvijver and the Binnenhof, where the parliament is located. The Mauritshuis exhibits many paintings by Dutch Masters, such as Vermeer and Rembrandt, while the Gemeentemuseum is home to the world’s largest collection of works by the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian.