Madurodam was opened in 1952 by a then-young Princess Beatrix. It was founded by a Mrs Boon-van der Starp who was trying to raise money for the Dutch Students Sanatorium.

She had been inspired by Bekonscot model village in Beaconsfield, England – the oldest model village in the world – and architect S.J. Bouma was brought in to design the Dutch miniature city at a 1:25 scale.

Its construction was funded by the parents of wartime-hero George Maduro (1916-1945) as a living memorial to their son. Today it attracts upwards of 700,000 visitors per year and continues to bring in new exhibits.

Madurodam is located just outside of the centre of the Hague, about 2km from Scheveningen beach.

The glass entrance building has a wave-like structure and is flanked by a lighthouse. Look out for the statue of the boy plugging the hole on the dike.

As well as model buildings there are a number of other attractions. Model cars, trains, planes and boats for the transport enthusiasts. There are interactive displays for all ages – like weighing yourself against Dutch cheeses, trying your hand at DJing or testing your football skills.

Madurodam also offers indoor rides and experiences including Wind Chaser (power of the wind), The Court of the Netherlands, 17th century Nieuw Amsterdam (New York) and Waterwolf (how to change water into land).

You will find a number of model buildings from many Dutch cities. Those from Amsterdam include the Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, Westerkerk tower, Heineken Brewery, Maritime Museum, Royal Theatre Carré and the canal houses.

One of the most popular attractions is the mock-up of Amsterdam Schiphol airport with its moving planes (taxiing rather than flying!).

Always a hit with the younger ones is the extensive model railway with authentic Dutch Railways trains. There are mock-ups of Groningen, Utrecht Central, Rotterdam Central and Valkenburg stations.

Rotterdam is also well-represented with the Holland-America line, Euromast, the Delftse Poort skyscraper and the Erasmus bridge. You can also try your hand at moving containers by crane at the Rotterdam port area.

The Flying Dutchman is a Douglas DC-3 aircraft originally built in 1945 which has been totally restored by hand. The audio-visual show inside the aircraft celebrates the 100+ year history of KLM.

If you enjoy old planes then why not also visit the Aviodrome Museum in Lelystad.

You could probably walk around in 1 hour although we would suggest taking more time to look at the intricacies and details of the models. Labelling is in both Dutch and English.

There are cafe-restaurant facilities on site, a shop and a playground area.

A visit to Madurodam is highly recommended either in its own right or as part of a day trip to The Hague. It will certainly give you a flying overview of the architecture and culture of The Netherlands.

Madurodam Essential Info

Last updated 14 September 2026. This article was first published in 2022.

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It makes for a great day out from Amsterdam or a longer visit in its own right.

The Hague Tourist Office

The Hague Info Store is located at Den Haag Centraal station and offers tourist information and various branded products. It is open 10:00-18:00 (Mon-Sat), 10:00-16:00 (Sun).

The Hague Central Station, Koningin Julianaplein 10-50, 2595 AA Den Haag

Things To Do in The Hague

Mauritshuis Museum

The Mauritshuis is a renowned art museum located in a 17th century palace in the centre of The Hague next to the Binnenhof on the banks of the Hofvijver lake. The house was commissioned by Johan Maurits who was the former governor of the ‘Dutch Brazil’ colony.

The small museum has an excellent collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings dating from 1400 to 1800. The highlights are Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring (1665-1667) and Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632).

The museum is open 13:00-18:00 (Mon), 10:00-18:00 (Tue-Sun).

Entry prices are €21.00 for adults. Free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders. Book Mauritshuis tickets here

Mauritsuis, Plein 29, 2501 CM Den Haag

Prince William V Gallery

The Prince William V Gallery is claimed to be the Netherland’s first museum which opened in 1774 to show Prince William’s impressive art collection to the public. It is run as a second location to the Mauritshuis.

It is open 12:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun) and entrance is €8.50 for adults. Free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders. Combi tickets with the Mauristhuis ticket are €24.00.

Prince William V Gallery, Buitenhof 33, 2513 AH Den Haag

Panorama Mesdag

This is a large panoramic painting of Scheveningen beach from the late 19th century. The painting surrounds an artificial dune and is viewed from a circular platform. With natural light flooding in from skylights in the roof, this gives the illusion of being on the dune itself.

The panorama was painted in 1881 by Hendrik Willem Mesdag with the assistance of other painters from The Hague School. It is an impressive 120m in circumference and 14m high. The view is that from the Seinpostduin which was the highest dune in Scheveningen at the time.

On the ground floor the museum has gallery space for temporary exhibitions.

The museum is open 10:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun), closed Mondays.

Entry prices are €17.50 for adults. Free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders. Book Panorama Mesdag tickets here

Museum Panorama Mesdag, Zeestraat 65, 2518 AA Den Haag

Madurodam

Madurodam is a miniature park in The Hague which displays famous landmarks and buildings in the Netherlands. It is one of the premier attractions in the country with around 700,000 visitors per year.

For more detailed info see our post: Madurodam – Holland in Miniature

Madurodam is located just outside of the centre of the Hague, about 2km from Scheveningen beach. Take HTM tram 9 (direction: Scheveningen Noord) to the ‘Madurodam’ stop.

The park includes model buildings, miniature transport and some indoor experiences.

Madurodam is open daily, normally 10:00-17:00, closes at 18:00 during the summer and holidays.

Entance costs €23.45 for adults, FREE entry to children 0-2. Museumkaart is NOT valid. Book your Madurodam ticket and time-slot online here

Madurodam, George Maduroplein 1, 2584 RZ Den Haag

Louwman Museum

The Louwman Museum is an automotive-themed museum with a wonderful collection of 275 historic and classic motor cars owned by the Louwman family. It is housed in a specially designed building which opened in 2010, although the museum dates back originally to 1934.

Highlights of the collection include the Aston Martin DB5 from the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger and a customised Cadillac Fleetwood owned by Elvis Presley. You will discover how motor vehicles evolved from the late 19th century and onwards through the 20th century.

This really is one of the best car museums in the world and an absolute must for motor enthusiasts.

The museum is open 10:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun), closed on Mondays. Open daily during July and August.

Entry prices are €20.00 for adults, €10.00 for children/youths 5-18. Free for children 0-4 and Museumkaart holders.

It is located about 3km north-east from the centre of The Hague. It can be reached by Qbuzz snelBuzz bus 385 from Den Haag Centraal which takes 12 minutes and stops outside the museum.

Louwman Museum, Leidsestraatweg 57, 2594 BB Den Haag

Binnenhof

Take a walk around the Binnenhof (Inner Court) which is the seat of the Dutch government with its monumental buildings and neogothic gold fountain.

The court is freely accessible to the public – though note, some of the buildings are undergoing a renovation for a few years.

The Binnenhof buildings are sited next to the Hofvijver lake (literally ‘Court pond’) which dates as far back as the 13th century.

Scheveningen Beach

Just a 15 minute tram ride away from the city centre is the beach at Scheveningen. Take a stroll along the boulevard, have a drink at the historic Kurhaus hotel (dating back to 1818), walk along the sandy beach and get some sea air.

There are several attractions at Scheveningen including:

Museum Beelden aan Zee at Harteveltstraat 1 has exhibitions of contemporary sculptures. Book Beelden aan Zee tickets here

SEA LIFE Scheveningen at Strandweg 13 is an aquarium attraction offering a glimpse into underwater ocean life. It is temporarily closed and is being renovated.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre at Strandweg 13K (next to SEA LIFE) is a LEGO-themed indoor attraction with 7 different zones. Book LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre tickets here

SkyView de Pier is a 40m high ferris wheel ride lasting 20 minutes and giving great views of the beach and surrounds. It is located on The Pier itself which is freely open to the public. Book Skyview de Pier tickets here

RIB Experience Scheveningen, a 30 minute trip in a fast RIB boat off the coast. Book tickets here

Vredepaleis (Peace Palace)

The Peace Palace is an iconic building in The Hague which was opened in 1913. It is run by the Carnegie Foundation and is the location of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the UN International Court of Justice, The Hague Academy of International Law and the Peace Palace library.

The visitors centre at the left side of the entrance at Carnegieplein is freely open to the public (12:00-17:00 Wed-Sun). There are also tours of the gardens and Palace rooms available, though these need to be booked in advance.

De Haagse Toren (The Hague Tower)

The 600 year old Grote Kerk tower is one of the oldest buildings in Den Haag. It is possible to take a guided tour up to the top of the 92.5m tower and take in some magnificent panoramic views of the city.

You will need to climb the 288 steps up to get to the top. Note, tours are in Dutch but info booklets are available in 8 languages.

It is open in the afternoons Thu-Sun (April to September). Book the Hague Tower tour climb here

Canal Cruise in The Hague

Like Amsterdam, it is possible to take a cruise around the canals of The Hague on an an open boat. The cruise lasts around 90 minutes with an English speaking guide. Book your Hague cruise here

The cruse starts at Bierkade 18b, The Hague.

Shopping in Den Haag

Den Haag is renowned for its chic shopping which caters for its well-to-do international clientele. From well known brands and chain stores to independent boutiques.

Shopping streets of note around the centre are the covered Passage, Hoogstraat/Noordeinde, Grote Marktstraat and Spuistraat.

Mall of the Netherlands

The Westfield Mall of The Netherlands is a large shopping mall located in the Leidschendam area of the city about 3km east from Den Haag Central. With 280 stores, eateries and a cinema complex, it is the largest shopping centre in the country.

To reach the mall, take HTM tram 2 or 6 from Den Haag Central (upstairs) to ‘Mall of the Netherlands’ stop.

Kunstmuseum Den Haag

Kunstmuseum (formerly Gemeentemuseum) is one of Europe’s biggest art museums which has 160,000 works in its collection. It is housed in an art deco building (1931-35) designed by renowned Dutch architect HP Berlage.

The museum includes modern art, prints and posters as well as ceramics and Dutch Delftware. It houses the world’s finest Piet Mondriaan collection with over 300 of his works. The glass roofing allows light to flood into the galleries.

The museum hosts special exhibitions regularly and is open 10:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun), closed Mondays.

HTM tram 17 from Den Haag Central goes to Kunstmuseum (last stop).

Entry prices are €22.00 for adults, €12.00 for ages 19-25. Free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders. Book Kunstmuseum Den Haag tickets here

Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Stadhouderslaan 41, 2517 HV Den Haag

Fotomuseum Den Haag / KM21

Fotomuseum Den Haag is a museum which holds photo exhibitions and is part of the Kunstmuseum. It is located in a modern building nextdoor to Kunstmuseum and opened in 2002.

KM21 is located in the same building and is an institute for contemporary art which holds 3-4 exhibitions each year.

Fotomuseum and KM21 are open 11:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun).

Entry price is €16.00 for adults, €7.00 for ages 19-25. Free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders. Note, special exhibitions can attract a surcharge.

Fotomuseum Den Haag/KM21, Stadhouderslaan 43, 2517 HV Den Haag

Escher in The Palace

Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a unique artist who specialised in drawing optical illusions. Museum Escher in The Palace is a comprehensive permanent exhibition of his works and is housed in the former royal winter palace on Lange Voorhout in the centre of The Hague.

It is open 11:00-17:00 (Tue-Sun), closed Mondays except during holidays.

Entry prices are €14.50 for adults, €11.00 for youths 13-17, €8.00 for children 7-12. Free for children 0-6; note, the Museumkaart is NOT accepted. Book Escher in the Palace tickets here

Escher in The Palace, Lange Voorhout 74, 2514 EH Den Haag

Getting To/From and Around Den Haag

Den Haag Centraal is the main transport hub of the city with trains, trams/metro and buses. Note that the city’s second station Den Haag HS has direct Intercity trains to Amsterdam.

TRAIN: An Amsterdam Centraal-Den Haag Centraal day return costs €30.60 (2nd class) or €55.08 (1st class) – 2026 prices. There is a €1.60 surcharge for disposable tickets. You can also buy e-tickets here

RET metro line E runs from Den Haag Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal – from the stop at Meijersplein it is a short bus ride to Rotterdam-The Hague airport.

Local transport company HTM runs 13 tram lines and 9 bus lines around the city. An HTM day ticket costs €8.60 and is valid on all HTM services. Tickets can be bought on-board trams or at the OV Service & Tickets store at Den Haag Centraal.

There is also a heritage tourist tram line which runs around The Hague during the weekend in the summer months.

Den Haag is a sophisticated, cultured city and it is certainly worthy of a day trip from Amsterdam.

This article was originally published in 2022. Last updated 14 September 2026.

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You will find excellent blue-flag rated beaches at Zandvoort, Bloemendaal-aan-Zee and Ijmuiden. The area is also surrounded by ancient sand dunes which are great for walking and cycling.

The beach towns come alive in spring and summer and are very popular with locals, especially on sunny weekends. If you wish to avoid the main crowds then plan your visit for midweek. It’s also a great place to hang out on long summer evenings when you can watch the sun setting.

On arrival at Zandvoort, the seafront boulevard is an easy 200m walk from the station. The boulevard is quite high up and provides super views of the beach.

Unfortunately, some of the architecture around the main front is uninspired, brutalist 1960’s style apartment blocks – but head south and you will find more attractive houses and some public sculptures.

The town centre is just south of the station and despite its small size contains some stylish shops and a reasonable selection of restaurants. Perhaps try out some kibbeling (battered fish chunks) at one of the take-away fish stands.

Down on the beach front there are many different themed “pavilion” style restaurants and beach clubs. There are 36 in total – five are open all year round whilst the others are seasonal (February to October).

To generalise, Zandvoort has a family feel about it whilst more exclusive places can be found at Bloemendaal-aan-Zee, a few kilometres north.

Continuing further north for 7 km you reach Ijmuiden which has a very wide beach and is home to a sea port and a giant steel works – despite the industry, however, the beach is blue-flag rated.

As this is the North Sea you should be prepared for variable weather conditions and some strong winds when down on the beach!

As well as swimming and sun-bathing, activities which can be done at the beaches include surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing, sailing, land sailing, beach volleyball, horse riding and kite flying.

Note, there are naturist beaches at the southern end of both Zandvoort and Ijmuiden.

The sand dunes that surround the area makes it a great place to connect with nature and spot some wildlife. There are hundreds of bunkers around Zandvoort which were built during World War 2 as part of the Atlantic Wall.

The Zuid-Kennemerland National Park lies just to the north of Zandvoort and has many walking and cycling paths – it is also accessible from Ijmuiden, Bloemendaal and Overveen. Entry to the park is free.

The park contains the Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal (Dutch Honorary Cemetery), a war cemetery with the remains of many Dutch resistance fighters including Hannie Schaft.

Bicycles can easily be rented – one outfit is Behind The Beach at Haltestraat 51 in Zandvoort which has a wide range of bikes available. It is open daily 10:00-18:00.

Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

To the south of Zandvoort lies the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen nature reserve which was originally used in the 19th century to filter Amsterdam’s drinking water.

There are 4 entrance gates to the reserve and entry costs €1.50 per person.

The Zandvoortselaan entrance nearest Zandvoort is about 1.5km/20 minutes walk from the centre of town. The address is Zandvoortselaan 130, 2042 XC Zandvoort.

It’s best to purchase your tickets online in advance here as it’s not possible to buy tickets at the Zandvoortselaan entrance.

The other entrance points are:

• Oranjekom/Oase (Eerste Leijweg 6, 2114 BH, Vogelenzang) – tickets available. This entrance includes De Oranjekom visitor’s centre,  open 10:00-16:30 Tue-Sun.
• Panneland (Vogelenzangseduinweg 2, 2114 AS Vogelenzang) – tickets available
• De Zilk (Joppeweg 1, 2191 AW De Zilk)

In the reserve there are up to 12 walking routes (4km to 9km) – some are marked by coloured posts. Note, cycling here is not permitted. You can also see fallow deer around the reserve.

Heading further south, Noordvoort is a beautiful beach nature reserve between Zandvoort and Nordwijk. It offers stunning elevated views of the beach from the dunes.

Zandvoorts Museum

The Zandvoorts museum at Louis Davidsstraat 19 in the centre has some historic background on the town.

The main rooms displays Life of Memories – old artefacts, photos and paintings about Zandvoort. Learn about the visloopters, hardy women who carried baskets of fish up to 30kg in weight across the dunes to Haarlem.

The Panorama Zandvoort is a fascinating short film with both archive and modern day footage.

The museum is open 10:00-17:00 Tue-Sun (closed Mondays). Entry is €11.50 for adults and free for children/youths 0-18 and Museumkaart holders.

The Raadhuis (Zandvoort town hall) at Raadhuisplein 16 is a listed building which dates from 1911.

Along the Kruisstraat can be found the Gasthuishofje, a garden courtyard built in 1947 around 27 homes which was part of Zandvoort’s post-war reconstruction plan.

There is the small Juttersmu-ZEE-um (beachcombers museum) at Strandweg 2 on the seafront with free entry, open afternoons only on Wednesdays (13:00-16:00) and weekends (12:00-16:00).

The town is also known for the world famous Zandvoort circuit located in the northern dunes which holds regular international motor racing events and has racing schools.

It held the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2021-2026 but will no longer be holding F1 races.

Getting from Amsterdam to Zandvoort

Sprinter trains run from Amsterdam Central to Zandvoort-aan-Zee and the journey takes 30 mins. Stops are at Amsterdam Sloterdijk, Halfweg-Zwanenburg, Haarlem Spaarnwoude, Haarlem and Overveen.

The service is half-hourly and a day return ticket costs €14.60 (2nd class) or €26.28 (1st class) – 2026 prices. Note, there is a €1.60 surcharge for disposable tickets.

[RECOMMENDED] The 1-3 day Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is valid for Amsterdam-Zandvoort train travel. You can buy the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket online here.

It includes NS trains in the Amsterdam region, all regional buses (Connexxion, EBS and Arriva Keukenhof services) and all GVB Amsterdam buses, metro and trams.

Connexxion bus 80 operates from Amsterdam Elandsgracht (near Leidseplein) to Zandvoort beach via Haarlem. The Amsterdam Beach Tour ticket (€17) is valid all day or use the region ticket mentioned above.

Zandvoort beach is a fun and popular day trip out of Amsterdam. You could also combine Zandvoort with a visit to Haarlem along the way.

This article was originally published in 2010. Last updated 11 September 2026.

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The original de Haar castle building dates from medieval times around the 13th century. However by the 19th century the castle had fallen into serious disrepair.

The wealthy van Zuylen and Rothschild families commissioned noted Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers (of Amsterdam Central Station and Rijksmuseum-fame) to completely restore the grounds and building.

The renovation work took 20 years between 1892 and 1912 and transformed the ruins into a comfortable and sophisticated neo-Gothic country retreat for the family and their guests.

The castle gardens are 55 hectares in area (a bit larger than Amsterdam’s Vondelpark) and feature a chapel, a Serpentine lake, a 400m long grand canal, a rose garden, a deer park, a maze and a Roman garden.

The park contains around 7,000 trees including a number of large monumental specimens.

The family would reside in the castle during September each year with famous guests such as Roger Moore, Joan Collins, Yves Saint Laurent and Bridget Bardot having visited.

Since the year 2000 the castle has been owned by an independent non-profit foundation. The September tradition continues each year with an expanded program of castle events for visitors during the month.

The castle itself has around 200 rooms including 25 baths. A visit around the castle interior takes about 45-60 minutes and takes you around a number of well-appointed rooms.

The highlight is the magnificent Main Hall which was actually the former castle courtyard but was roofed during the 19th century renovation. Admire the wooden vaulted ceiling (18m in height) which is decorated in gold leaf and stained glass windows.

Much of the castle interior is lavishly decorated with furnishings from the Rothschild collection.

Volunteers are on hand in many of the rooms to provide further background. There are also information sheets in multiple languages available.

Private group tours are possible for up to 20 people (at additional charge) by booking in advance.

A map of the gardens is available at reception which highlights the main features and has 3 walking routes and a kids maze tour. These are also available on the Kasteel De Haar app.

There is a restaurant at the Stable Square (Stalplein) near the entrance and a tearoom café in the gardens. The castle has a small shop with souvenirs.

Please note that the castle itself is not wheelchair accessible due to the many stairs.

With a beautiful castle, stunning gardens and interesting history, the Kasteel de Haar is worthy of a visit and makes for a good day trip to escape the bustle of Amsterdam.

Also of interest: Muiderslot Castle, a classical castle located in Muiden (near Amsterdam).

Kasteel de Haar Essential Info

This article was first published in 2019, last checked and updated on 9 September 2026.

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