The Haagse Bos
Free and open, its paths passing near the wall.
Ruben de Rijcke — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Unknown photographer — Public domain · Anefo — CC0 · Anefo — CC0
Huis ten Bosch stands inside the Haagse Bos woodland east of The Hague, and has been the actual residence of the Dutch royal family since 2019 — a house that is lived in rather than a monument to be visited. It was built between 1645 and 1652 for Amalia, Princess of Orange, and its central Oranjezaal is among the most important baroque interiors in the Netherlands: walls and ceiling entirely covered in vast painted panels by Flemish and Dutch artists glorifying her husband Prince Frederick Henry. The room is rare in having survived exactly as designed, unaltered. The palace is **not open to the public**, and approach is limited by the royal garden walls. What you can do is walk in the surrounding Haagse Bos, which is open and free, its paths passing near the wall so the facade is glimpsed at a distance through the trees. Treat it as part of a walk in the woods rather than a destination in itself.
Free and open, its paths passing near the wall.
All that can be seen of an inhabited palace.
Huis ten Bosch, Haagse Bos, 2593 The Hague
The Haagse BosAn ancient wood extending east of central The Hague, regarded as among the oldes7 minutes walk4.6
The Marlot EstateAn old country estate on The Hague's north-eastern boundary, dating to the eight15 minutes walk4.9
The Children's Book MuseumThe Children's Book Museum is inside the Dutch national library building beside 21 minutes walk4.6
The Queen Emma MonumentA memorial in The Hague to Queen Emma, queen regent of the Netherlands between 122 minutes walk4.5There are three official palaces and access varies. Huis ten Bosch is inhabited and entirely closed. Noordeinde in central The Hague is the king's working office and cannot be entered, though its facade and rear gardens can be seen and walked past. The Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam is the only one genuinely open to the public on a ticket, when not in use for state occasions — and it is the grandest of the three inside in any case.