Westbroekpark is one of the most beautiful parks in The Hague. The park has large playing fields, ponds and watercourses. With its loose groups of trees and picturesque vistas, it is reminiscent of an English park. Westbroekpark is best known for its beautiful rose garden: the International Rosarium, created in 1960. The park is home to a Chinese wok restaurant and tea room de Waterkant. The park is also home to the annual De Parade and various food festivals.
Rosarium
The showpiece of Westbroekpark is undoubtedly the International Rosarium, a rose garden in which some 20,000 roses bloom on about 300 beds between the end of June and October. They are the latest varieties won and voluntarily sent in by growers from all over the world. Every year, the Rosarium is the setting for an international rose competition, where an international jury judges the roses and awards gold, silver or bronze certificates for each category.
Opening hours entrance to Rosarium
You can simply walk in Westbroek Park, but the Rosarium, through which this route passes, has the following opening hours;
Winter period 1 October to 1 April
- 7.45am to 4.15pm for both entrance gates.
- After closing time, there is always the possibility to access the park via the entrance white bridge side restaurant Westbroekpark.
Summer period: 1 April to 1 October
- 7.45 a.m. to 10 p.m. (last round closes forester).
- Again, the park can always be accessed via entrance white bridge side restaurant Westbroekpark.
History of Westbroekpark
Before 1860, Westbroekpark was part of a wooded dune area, also known as inner dune forest. A contractor offered The Hague city council to excavate these dunes free of charge and deliver the land as arable, whereby the excavated sand could be used elsewhere for embankment. That contractor's proposal was accepted by the city council and a meadow was created at this spot.
In the following years, several designs were made for the construction of a park. Mr Westbroek, then director of Municipal Parks, designed the outline of the ‘New Park’ on New Park Avenue in the early 1920s. His design was completed in 1926. In memory of the now-deceased Mr Westbroek, the park was christened Westbroek Park.
Tea room and rowing boat rental Waterkant
Hidden between the trees just behind the Rosarium is the romantic teahouse de Waterkant. Delicious lunches are prepared here every day with fresh ingredients. You can choose to have your lunch on The Hague's most beautiful grass terrace, but for a few euros you can hire your own rowing boat to sail around the park.
Accessibility Westbroekpark
Westbroekpark is located in the borough of Scheveningen. The park is easily accessible by car, public transport and bicycle. The main entrance to the Westbroekpark is on Kapelweg. There is a bicycle shed here. There is also an entrance to the park on Cremerweg.
- Westbroekpark is easily accessible from the city centre by tram 9 towards Scheveningen. Bus 21 also passes Westbroek Park in the direction of The Hague seaside resort.
- By car, follow the signs for Scheveningen Bad from the motorway until you reach Nieuwe Parklaan. Take the side street Nieuwe Duinweg to reach the main entrance. Parking is available on Kapelweg.
Westbroekpark
