Accessible The Hague
The city of The Hague attaches great importance to the fact that visitors and residents with disabilities feel welcome in our city and can move around as easily as possible. You want to visit a museum, sit on a terrace or enjoy your free time without any obstacles. In this article we therefore give you, in addition to tips for fun and accessible locations in The Hague, also information about accessibility, parking spaces and accessibility of public places for people with a visual or physical disability.
Admire the historic city centre with its special architecture and the colourful windows of the trendy shops, typical The Hague specialty stores and department stores. The wide pavements ensure that it is easy to maneuver by wheelchair or scooter. Experience the atmosphere at the cosy squares and enjoy a drink or a snack in the many cafes and restaurants that the city has to offer. Do you already fancy a day in The Hague?
Accessible museums in The Hague
The Hague is a great eye opener when it comes to culture due to the vast amount of museums that are also good to visit for visitors who are disabled.
Visit an exhibition in one of the beautiful museums of The Hague. Many museums and attractions have special facilities for people with a (visual, physical or hearing) disability. Often there is a lift, a wheelchair to borrow and / or help at hand. Special guided tours (on request) are also available.
View the museums that have special facilities below.
Mauritshuis & Gallery Prins Willem V are easily accessible, even if you are wheelchair bound or have difficulty walking. There is a lift that takes you to the second floor (this is located in the Golden Room). At the entrance of the Museum there are wheelchairs that you can borrow and walking sticks that you can use for free of charge. There is a disabled toilet in the Foyer. More information can be found here
Kunstmuseum Den Haag also has wheelchairs and zimmer frames that are available free of charge at the entrance, it is advisable to book in advance. You can find more information about accessibility here
You can visit Panorama Mesdag if you are dependent on a wheelchair, as with many museums it is useful to call / book in advance. The museum has a stair lift that takes you to the floor where you can admire the beautiful Panorama painting. Electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters cannot be used on the stair lift. Click here for more information about access to the museum.
Museum Voorlinden is easily accessible by wheelchair, the building is almost on the ground floor and has a special entrance for wheelchairs and for people using a zimmer frame. It is possible to borrow a wheelchair for free, however it is best to reserve one in advance. There is also a disabled toilet in the museum. You can find more information about accessibility here.
Of course there are many more museums in The Hague and Scheveningen that can be visited. It is advisable to check the website of the relevant museums in advance to see what needs to be reserved and what facilities they have on offer.
Museum Escher in Het Paleis opens serveral times in the year their doors for people with visual disability. Special trained guides will tell you everything how M.C. Escher lived and you will see some of his greatest art works of the collection. You will learn the artworks on an interactive way and form an image based on feeling, hearing and imagining. More information you will find here
Go on an excursion in The Hague
Do you want to fully enjoy your day (s) in The Hague? The city offers various tourist options for people with disabilities to experience The Hague as well as possible. Check out the suggestions below because they are definitely worth your while!
- Experience The Hague from the water with a cruise through the canals. With an accessible boat from the Ooievaart or Willemsvaart you sail along the most beautiful places in The Hague, both known and unknown. The skipper will tell you the best anecdotes and most interesting stories that you sometimes know nothing about. Reservations for the Ooievaart can be made here and for the Willemsvaart here.
- Visit the political heart of The Hague, namely the Parliament Buildings & the House of Representatives. Especially for people with reduced mobility, hearing impaired and visually impaired, there is a possibility through Prodemos to visit these highlights. More information about the tours can be found here
- Discover The Hague by means of city walk with a guide from the organisation known as "Het Gilde". Expert guides proudly tell you the most special stories in The Hague's history. Please note that this walking tour is currently carried out in Dutch.
- Have you always wanted to ride in a carriage through The Hague, just like our King and Queen? It is possible to make a reservation at Stalhouderij Hanemeijer, who drive a special carriage that is accessible for wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility. More information can be found here
Accessibility in Public Transport
It is important for people with disabilities that they can move around by public transport. To do this as best as possible:
HTM (The Hague Tram Organisation) considers it important that public transport is accessible to everyone. Due to having renovated stops for the majority of the trams, it then makes travelling easy and comfortable for travellers with disabilities to take public transport in The Hague and the surrounding areas. More than 100 buses have also been made accessible and have special allocated areas for wheelchairs.
View here the tips that the HTM give to make travelling even more comfortable.
In collaboration with the HTM and Stichting Voorall, instructional videos have been made on how to travel by public transport and what to pay attention to. You can find the instructional video on this page (please note that the videos are portrayed in the Dutch language).
Parking in The Hague
If you are traveling to The Hague by car, it is useful to know where general disabled parking spaces (GPA) are. You can park for free at a GPA with a disabled parking card. However, the disabled parking card is not valid on paid parking spaces in The Hague. You can find an overview of all parking spaces in The Hague on the website of the Municipality of The Hague. Curious where you can find these parking spaces, click here for an overview of the Municipality or click here for an overview at Ongehinderd.nl (NB: this is a Dutch website, however it remains quite self explanatory).
What is a General disabled parking space?
A general disabled parking space (GPA) is a parking space where any vehicle with a disabled parking card can park without paying.
- The general disabled parking space is not linked to a license plate of a vehicle.
- Parking is prohibited for other vehicles during the working hours of the GPA. These are the times indicated on the sign at the parking lot.
- The GPA is often installed at public buildings, shopping centres or by medical facilities such as a general practice or physiotherapist.
Scheveningen Beach
It might not be easy for everyone to go to the beach quickly and without a lot of hassle. If you are dependent on, for example, a wheelchair, it is useful to first delve into a number of things first. We hereby give you a number of tips regarding renting wheelchairs, beach entrances and parking spaces.
Renting a beach wheelchair
You can rent a beach wheelchair at the Biseklette (guarded bicycle sheds), which you will find at the Strandweg-Haven, Strandweg-Keizerstraat, Palaceplein and Zwarte Pad. It is also possible to rent a beach wheelchair in Kijkduin. It is advisable to book this by telephone or via the biseklette app that you can download. You can find more information about the biseklette and what they rent out here
Paved paths to the high tide mark
Did you know that there is a paved path from the North promenade and the South promenade that leads you to the coast? From the North Promenade you will find it right in front of the Carlton Beach Hotel and on the South Promenade you will find it on the left hand side of Beach club Hartbeach, ideal for getting to the water without obstacles. On this map you will find the beach entrances and disabled toilets.
Parking in Scheveningen
Eleven disabled parking spaces can be found in various places adjacent to the the promenade. You will find three places at the turning loop of tram 11. On the northern promenade you will find six parking spaces where Aloha Beach club is situated. You will also find two at the end of the road near The Hague Beach Stadium. Take a look at the overview of the Municipality of The Hague for more disabled parking spaces here.
Public transport to Scheveningen
Scheveningen is easily accessible by public transport, there are direct tram lines that take you from the centre of the city to the coast of Scheveningen in 15 minutes.
Tram 9 runs from Station Hollandspoor in the direction of Scheveningen Noorderstrand, this tram runs via the centre of the city and The Hague CS. If you want to get near to the harbour of Scheveningen, it is best to take tram 11 from Hollandspoor Station in the direction of Strandweg / Scheveningen Haven (harbour). Both trams are on the ground floor and have special places for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Disabled toilets
First public changing tables in the Netherlands
Did you know that the Central Library where our VVV (THIS Shop) is located has a new public changing table for adults with a disability. The facility provides people with disabilities who cannot use the disabled toilets, new freedom to go out, privacy and hygiene.
The changing tables are also called changing tables or care tables. In addition to the location of the Central Library, there are also two other public changing tables at Biesieklette Scheveningen Harbour and at the Sports Campus in Zuiderpark in The Hague.
Spend the night in The Hague
The Hague has so much to offer that it does not fit into one day. Maybe you want to stay overnight? You will find a number of accommodations on the website known as 'Ongehinderd' (the website is in Dutch, but fairly self explanatory to navigate). It is advisable to check with the hotel in advance whether they have adapted rooms and what facilities they have to offer.
Ongehinderd APP
For disabled people, it is advised to use the free App of Ongehinderd or to use the website. (Please note that the website is in Dutch).
A survey has been adapted on our Dutch site, however it is not applicable in English.
The Hague Info Store works together with the Voorall foundation. This interest group combines the strengths of residents with disabilities in The Hague so that everyone can participate in society in an equal way. If you have specific questions about living with a disability in The Hague, please contact Voorall: 070-3655288 or via info@voorall.nl or visit the Voorall website.