It was an especially charming, period building with classic features and huge stately windows.
I wondered what treasures lay beyond the gleaming glass.
But before I got a chance to catch a glimpse of the intriguing interiors, or check if I would be welcome through the lantern bedecked doorway – I was struck by a gigantic inflatable snake-like structure which appeared to have escaped from the first floor.
The soft blue inflated spectacle, which was covered in arrows. had curled round into a loop which looked like it had somehow plunged underneath the footpath and escaped out of a strip of grass on the other side of the street.
As I turned around to further investigate I realised it had wounds itself around into two more loops which flowed out through luscious green trees.
It was the first time that I had visited The Hague – and The Netherlands.
I looked around to see if other buildings had similar blow up sculptures popping out of their windows.
They didn’t. But on the strip of parkland running through the historic city centre I spotted other huge, brightly coloured air filled features.
There was a bright yellow flying saucer style sphere covered in dots at the far end of the park, a stunning bright red tree-like pillar with balls sticking out almost opposite me, a bright pink and orange plastic monument at one end and a funky incarnation of what looked like a board game at the other – with blow up clothes pegs and a pair of knees.
I was aware of The Hague’s important reputation on the world stage hosting NATO conferences and the International Criminal Court, so I was surprised to see the seemingly light hearted colourful distractions amidst the powerful government institutions.
I soon discovered that the giant inflatable structures were part of the city’s annual Blow Up Art exhibition – they each symbolised a powerful story which was explained alongside them, and they were just one part of The Hague’s incredibly vibrant art scene which is a treasure trove of classic and contemporary pieces.
This Open Air Gallery in the Museum Quarter is being run with Pulchi Studio – housed in the beautiful building where I had first happened upon the blow up art busting out of a window.
It is accompanied by a series of other contemporary monumental sculptures from Voorhout Monumental. You can also visit collections in the studio and enjoy an outdoor BlowUpcino – an especially crafted take on a cappuccino whilst the exhibition runs until June 11.
But it wasn’t just the inflatable art that blew my mind during my two day visit to The Netherlands’ third largest city and seat of the Dutch parliament.
The city is bursting with culture and beauty – there’s a beach too, and that was one of our first stops, however it wasn’t as you might imagine.
This being an art trip – instead of heading to the sandy strands along the North Sea, we took a trip through time to a Panoramic real life version of Sheveningen from 1880.
It was incredible. We encountered the spectacle in the Museum Panorama Mesdag after travelling through a darkened corridor and up some steps, with the displacement adding to the illusion of being on the beach from times gone by once we reached the top.
Panoramas were popular at the time of its creation and ahead of film production. This one is the very few to remain in its original home.
Natural lighting from a dome overhead enhances the real life feel of the wonderful work by artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag.
And it wasn’t the only treasure that we discovered at this museum which runs temporary shows alongside its permanent exhibit.
When we visited the remarkable photographs from Scarlett Hooft Graafland were on display. Aptly named Mesmerizing, her work captures fascinating moments in time from people and places in some of the world’s most remote corners.
They aren’t photoshopped. The colours are naturally beautiful and the cleverly captured moments in time are awe-inspiring, including a person seemingly floating in air alongside an aeroplane.
It’s fascinating to watch the film accompanying the pictures which reveal the diligent work and techniques she uses to create such landscapes of wonder.
The Hague has many exciting smaller art galleries too. Our next stop on our art tour of the city took us to Dürst Britt & Mayhew where we discovered eye-catching contemporary pieces which certainly prompted some debate.
One of the first artworks we saw in the gallery was a 1960s piece from Dutch icon Henk Peeters featuring tap water and plastic bags. It was surprisingly alluring – definitely one to experience close up.
Other pieces were from young Dutch artist Maja Klaassens which featured everyday household items which were recreated as art, including clothes and bedside tables.
Next up we took a trip over to one of the oldest streets in The Hague to visit 1646 Experimental Art Space which has almost been in business for 30 years.
Its current artist in residence is Cihad Caner, a Rotterdam based artist who explores the politics of the image through the mediums of video, photography, music, motion capture and CGI.
1646 is hosting his Parroting the Parrot installation which is a fascinating interpretation of a Netflix documentary looking at Turkish History.
The ground certainly seemed a little less stable once we emerged from the dark spaces illuminated by flickering lanterns and a brightly coloured talking bird. It was a fascinating piece, definitely well worth experiencing.
We aptly concluded our art tour of The Hague with dessert – an exhibition looking at The History of the Dessert that is, which is currently at Kunstmuseum Den Haag until October 26.
Dancing jellies, spinning sweets, sugar flowers, dessert styled dresses – this display really did have it all.
It captured the fanciful fun of the dish perfectly. A wonderfully light finish to our excellent tour in a first class venue which has some serious exhibitions too including a look at the more serious and sinister history of Paris featuring work from Monet to Morisot.
Of course one cannot live on art alone, so we also enjoyed some of The Hague’s impressive hospitality offerings during our stay.
From a boat ride along the long canal network with local beers and snacks to fish restaurants and tapas bars there are so many options.
Highlights of our dining experience included a fantastic seafood pasta with sea vegetables and shellfish at Vigo in a charming neighbourhood of Statenkwartier near the Frederik Hendriklaan shopping area not too far from the beach and outside the city centre. The linguine was beautifully buttered and the fish was so fresh and nourishing.
We also enjoyed some amazing tapas dishes at El Bar which wasn’t too far from our hotel in Noordeinde in the city centre.
Grilled lamb kofte, pickled red onion with fresh herbs and parsley cream were among my favourites alongside smoked beetroot with crispy grains and green herb aioli.
We also had an excellent dinner at Voca hotel which is part of the IHG Hotel group alongside the exceptional Hotel Indigo which is where we stayed on our trip. The luxury boutique venue used to be a bank and oozes historic riches.
The underground bar at Hotel Indigo still has the doors to the vaults where gold was stored in times gone by with tales of protecting royalty being protected during wartime too.
The rooms were so comfortable with fantastic bathrooms. I loved the relaxing aromas that greeted us each time we entered the lobby.
We also got to check out five star luxury Hotel des Indes another beautiful place to stay with a rich history dating back to 1858 and a phenomenal guest list of legends including the Dalai Lama, Mick Jagger, Prince, and Royalty. It is also the place where world famous ballet dancer Anna Pavlova spent her final days after contracting pneumonia after being rescued from a train crash.
There were so many shops nearby to explore, but we didn’t get time on this trip. I was particularly stricken by the feeling of safety in The Hague – day and night the streets were clean and welcoming.
There were cyclists everywhere – I had to be mindful of not mistaking the bikeways for walk ways at times though.
I was also surprised at how accessible the city is from the UK. I flew with KLM from Birmingham Airport. There were several flights to The Hague on the day I flew out. It took just 55 minutes to arrive at Schipol Airport. There’s a regular train service from there to The Hague and the faster trains will get you there in just 30 minutes.
I look forward to returning when I can for some more culture, great food – and a trip to the beach.
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