In December 2015 I visited the Netherlands and Belgium on behalf of AfriForum. Most of the time The Hague served as the “base” where I stayed.

The Hague, also known as ‘s-Gravenhage or Den Haag in Afrikaans, has just more than half a million fulltime residents. Old and new buildings combine to present a nice ensemble.

The city is the seat of the Dutch Parliament. The Inner Courtyard (Binnenhof) is the area around which the city developed – the Ridderzaal (Knight Hall) inside it dates from the 13th century.

From The Hague it is easy to travel to other Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delft, Leiden and even Belgium. In contrast to Amsterdam, The Hague is not flooded with tourists. Even so, there is a surprise around every curve and corner…

You might meet Christmas Father and his reindeers in Denne Road. This street is hugely popular for its five highlights: Cosy wine and dine places, lifestyle shops, fashion boutiques and beauty shops. Whether you are looking to buy valuable antique porcelain or long-playing records, it is the street for you!

With the value of the rand plummeting quite often, luckily there are numerous beautiful scenes that will distract your attention from the tempting shops, such as romantic bridges above the canals, swans and interesting artwork!

Somewhere else, one can hear the sounds of an old barrel organ above the clip-clop of the shoe of a horse pulling it.

On the wet and rainy Saturday, more than a thousand people marched silently through the streets to demonstrate against abortion. They were accompanied by mounted police.

Everywhere there were signs of Christmas… From the red carpet and huge Christmas tree in De Passage, the oldest shopping centre in the Netherlands dating from 1885 and a UNESCO monument, to the doors of private residences.

Even the cold of winter cannot hide the beauty of the city. Tourists easily yield to the charm of Amsterdam, but if you ever visit the Netherlands, do not leave without spending time in The Hague.