Museums and attractions

The city of peace and justice

Day in, day out people do their utmost in The Hague to enhance the world we live in. The epitome of this is the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) which was built around 100 years ago. The Palace was the building block upon which The Hague became the international city of Peace and Justice.

Story of Peace & Justice

Every day 20.000 people in the Hague strive towards attaining a safer, more just world. They come to The Hague from all corners of the world to mutually try and resolve global issues. With the Peace Palace as its beating heart, The Hague constitutes the international city of peace and justice.

World news
The Hague frequently makes global headlines due to the international court proceedings that take place in the various courts, such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. But there’s more to The Hague than courts, tribunals and palaces. The city’s unique status attracts countless government leaders, knowledge institutes, social stakeholders, businesses and students. Here they work together, sharing their expertise and developing new ideas. In The Hague international conflicts are discussed and resolved, to prevent feuding countries going to war.

Justice, health and the environment
As such The Hague is a natural place for international conferences to be held. In 2014 53 world leaders visited the city for the biggest conference ever held in the Netherlands, the Nuclear Security Summit. In 2018 the largest ever international youth conference, One Young World Summit, took place in The Hague, where global issues such as justice, peace and the environment were debated. This conference brought 1.500 future world leaders from over 190 countries to The Hague.
In 2018, more than 4000 delegates came to The Hague for the largest annual conference devoted to TB, lung health and related issues in low and middle income countries. The Hague provided the perfect setting for the 49th Union World Conference on Lung Health, which then focused on the critical role of human rights in the battle to beat TB, strengthen tobacco control and ensure respiratory health for all.

Security
Tackling international security issues in The Hague is a natural upshot of the city’s jurisdictive status; for example, by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. Moreover, The Hague is the beating heart of the biggest security cluster in Europe: The Hague Security Delta. Here more than 13,000 people work together across 400 organisations to enhance global security, especially in regards of ‘cyber security’.

The Inner Court (Binnenhof) and the Hall of Knights (Ridderzaal) are the core of our democracy.
VisIt, experience and find out more about the Peace Palace's global role.
Prison Gate Museum - crime and punishment throughout the centuries.
Visit the Nazi's fortification Atlantikwall.

Tip

Attractions

Het Vredespaleis Visitors Centre

Prison Gate Museum.

Places with a history

National monument Oranjehotel was the nickname for the Scheveningen prison during the Second World War.
Waalsdorpervlakte is one of the most important Dutch memorials of the war.
Madurodam: living monument to war hero George Maduro.

National monument Oranjehotel.

Things to do

Learn more about the history of war and peace, see for yourself what it’s like to live in a bunker or cell, or get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a child in wartime.