← Leiden Marathon·Day trip

The Hague: A Vermeer and a Sea Wall After Leiden

A short train to the seat of Dutch government, with a small museum holding Vermeer's most famous painting and a seafront at Scheveningen.

DurationDay trip
TransitNS train from Leiden Centraal to Den Haag Centraal, about 15 to 20 minutes
DepartsLeiden Centraal

After the Leiden Marathon: The Hague

The Route: Leiden → The Hague → Leiden Logistics: NS train, about 15 to 20 minutes each way, with frequent services. Tram 1 or 9 runs from Den Haag Centraal to Scheveningen. Marathon Month: May Duration: Day trip

Leiden ──(15-20 min, NS)──> Den Haag Centraal ──(tram, about 25 min)──> Scheveningen
   ^                              │
   └────────(15-20 min, NS)───────┘

The girl in the Mauritshuis is smaller than people expect. Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring is about 45 by 40 centimetres, hung in a room of modest size in a seventeenth-century city palace beside a pond called the Hofvijver, and she holds a crowd of visitors in a way that paintings ten times larger rarely manage. The Hague is a day trip that begins with a short train from Leiden and a flat walk, which suits a body that ran 42 kilometres the day before.

Dutch rail has no advance fares. Tap in and out with a contactless card or OVpay, and check the NS planner for departure times.

May in The Hague: daytime highs are about 16°C to 18°C, with sun and breeze off the North Sea. Showers pass quickly. A light waterproof and a hat are enough. Check museum opening days, because Monday closures are common.

Day Trip: The Hague

From Den Haag Centraal, the walk to the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis is about 1.5 kilometres on level, paved streets, or a short tram ride. The Binnenhof, the medieval complex that houses the Dutch parliament, can be seen from the outside while its renovation continues. Check the current access arrangements.

The Mauritshuis costs about €20, and prices vary, so use the figure as a guide only. It has a lift and seating, and the collection is compact enough to cover in about 90 minutes. Book a timed ticket in advance. Check the current opening days at the museum's website.

The Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice, is a short tram ride away. It can be seen from the gates, and visits to the interior are by guided tour only, so check the schedule before you plan around it.

For the afternoon, take tram 1 to Scheveningen. The promenade is flat and wide, with a pier and a long sandy beach. It is the best place to sit with a coffee and watch the sea. The wind can be cool even on a sunny day, so keep a layer in your bag.

Lunch is easiest in the streets around the Plein or on the Noordeinde, which has cafés and bakeries. Dutch pancakes and fish sandwiches are the local staples. Haring, raw herring, is in season earlier in the year but is sold at stalls through the spring.

Return to Den Haag Centraal by tram and take the train back to Leiden. Trains run every few minutes, so there is no need to plan the return tightly.

Getting to Schiphol Airport (AMS)

The Hague to Schiphol takes about 30 to 35 minutes by train. From Leiden it takes about 15 to 20. Airport station is beneath Schiphol Plaza, with lifts to the terminal.