The Hague Bucket List: Tips for Interns
By Amber Grimmer — legal intern in The Hague, 2025, and traveler to 31 countries (and counting)
Moving to The Hague for an internship? Whether you're clerking at the ICJ, interning at an embassy, or just here for a few months of international law and canal-side living, this city has a way of surprising you. Between court sessions and case memos, I made it my mission to actually see the place — and eat and drink my way through it too.
Bucket List
Must see things to do:
Mauritshuis — This art gallery houses hundreds of Dutch paintings, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Escher in the Palace — A must-see collection of M.C. Escher's graphic work, housed in what was once the winter palace of Queen Mother Emma.
Madurodam — A miniature park packed with tiny versions of Dutch buildings, landmarks, and windmills.
De Pier, Scheveningen — A pier with indoor and outdoor decks, casual restaurants, and even bungee jumping if you're feeling brave. Another must-go.
Museum Voorlinden — Modern and contemporary art paired with sculpture gardens worth wandering through slowly.
Celestial Vault (James Turrell, 1996) — A striking sculptural installation worth seeking out.
Binnenhof — The historic seat of Dutch democracy. It's currently under renovation, but still worth a visit.
Van Kleef Distillery Museum — Said to have been a haunt of Vincent van Gogh, this is the last genever distillery still operating in The Hague.
Kunstmuseum The Hague — An Art Deco building holding contemporary and modern art collections, with guided tours available.
Peace Palace — The Renaissance-style complex housing international courts, complete with gardens, a library, and a visitor center. Fitting for anyone here on the legal-intern track.
About the Museumkaart: You can have free or cheap access to museums in the Netherlands with a Museum Card (75 euro). This pays for itself very quickly given that a lot of the big sights in Amsterdam can cost 15-25 Euro. Consider getting one soon and requesting a physical card because you can only use the app if you have access to the Netherlands app store. You will also need to pay with a Dutch bank account (like Bunq) via IDealPay.
Bites
Day Dream Deli — Truffle burgers and sandwiches in a tiny, hip hole-in-the-wall spot.
Impero Romano Den Haag — A bit fancier, with a standout pasta made table-side in a Parmesan wheel.
Shakshuka Restaurant and Bar — Solid Middle Eastern food.
Ridders Kaashuis — A cheese shop with an incredible range of Dutch and imported cheeses and meats — and generous samples. Fresh sandwiches too.
Scallywags — A cute British Tea Room.
Bars
Tea House the Waterfront — A genuine hidden gem in summer. You actually take a canal boat to reach it, tucked into a wooded corner of the city with a canal on one side and a rose garden on the other. The menu's Dutch-only, which somehow makes it feel more authentic. You can rent row boats here too.
O'Casey's Irish Pub & Restaurant — Weekly trivia on Thursdays, €17 to play.
Vavoom! — A tiki-leaning cocktail bar.
Café Hathor — Floats right on a canal, which is neat, though otherwise fairly ordinary. Fair warning: they forgot the ham in my Croque Monsieur.
Café Bleu — A cute canal-side bistro with live jazz on Tuesdays. Great date-night energy.
Plein — A lively square lined with restaurants and bars with patios — good for a night that starts with one drink and ends with four.
Café Le Duc — Live jazz every night at 9pm.
Luden Den Haag — Cheap drinks on Tuesdays make this an easy weekly habit.
Beans
DuckRabbit Coffee Brewers — Rrecommended by a fellow intern and former barista. Get the pour-over.
Vascobelo V-bar Den Haag — Spacious, good vibes, and great for working remotely. A friend of mine calls this her favorite street in the city.
Vlaamsch Broodhuys (Frederik Hendriklaan) — Walkable from the World Forum, on the street locals call "the Fred." Perfect for a lunch break if you're working nearby.
Breaks from the City
Sometimes you need to leave The Hague entirely. Here's where to go:
Royal Delft — A 17th-century earthenware factory still in operation, with a museum, guided tours, and a brasserie.
Utrecht — A medieval city with tree-lined canals and a university-town feel. Climb the 14th-century Domtoren bell tower, wander over to the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral, or stop into the Museum Catharijneconvent for religious art in a former monastery.
De Haar Castle — A 19th-century, medieval-style palace with landscaped gardens that regularly host fairs and events.
Meijendel — Coastal dunes with rich bird life, marked walking and cycling trails, and a nature center. Great for a reset after a long week.
Do as the Dutch Do
Binnenhof — Even mid-renovation, you can climb the outside tower for a peek at the work in progress. Free.
Buitenhof Herring Stall — Right outside the House of Representatives, this is the place for a proper Dutch herring sandwich (mine was €3.50). Bring cash — they don't take American cards.
Buying Things When You Move Here
Practical, intern-tested essentials:
Albert Heijn XL — The default grocery store here, but this XL location has a bigger selection of toiletries and pharmacy items, which makes it a great first stop when you're setting up your new place.
Kruidvat — The best spot for affordable toiletries. Fun fact: you can buy contact lenses here without a prescription.
NEBO dé fotospecialist + pasfoto — Your go-to for passport photos, which you'll inevitably need at some point during your internship paperwork.
Don't let your internship pass without hitting at least half of these. The Hague rewards the curious, and there's a lot more here than court sessions and canal views (though those are pretty great too).
