The Hague’s world-renowned Girl with a Pearl Earring is travelling to Japan this week, accompanied by a delegation from the city led by Mayor Jan van Zanen. While Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece will take centre stage in Osaka, the visit will also open doors for new cooperation between The Hague’s peace and justice ecosystem and Japan and South Korea.
In Osaka, Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece will take centre stage in the exhibition Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Masterpieces of the 17th Century. Van Zanen will attend the official opening on Thursday.
The Girl’s visit is part of a wider mission connecting The Hague with partners across Japan and South Korea.
In Japan, Van Zanen will meet Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and the mayors of Osaka and Kyoto, Hideyuki Yokoyama and Koji Matsui. The meetings will focus, among other topics, on the role cities and local governments can play in addressing international challenges. The programme also includes a visit to the Kyoto Museum for World Peace.
In South Korea, the focus will expand to cybersecurity as an important part of The Hague’s peace and justice ecosystem. Meetings in Seoul will explore opportunities for cybersecurity companies considering European expansion and a potential presence in The Hague. Mayor Van Zanen will also meet former judges who have worked in The Hague, reinforcing the longstanding ties between South Korea and the city’s international legal community.
Van Zanen will visit WeGO, the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization, and travel to Daejeon for meetings with the city’s mayor and KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The longstanding connection between The Hague and South Korea will be marked with a wreath-laying at the Yi Jun Memorial in Seoul. Korean diplomat Yi Jun travelled to The Hague in 1907 during the Second Hague Peace Conference and died in the city.
From Vermeer in Osaka to cybersecurity in Seoul, the mission uses longstanding international ties to explore new partnerships – while one of The Hague’s most famous residents enjoys a temporary stay in Japan.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Girl with a Pearl Earring will be on display at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka from 21 August to 27 September 2026, alongside eleven other works from the Mauritshuis collection.
The exceptional loan coincides with the temporary closure of the Mauritshuis. The painting rarely leaves The Hague but has previously travelled to Japan during the renovation of the museum between 2012 and 2014.
The Hague is increasingly coming into focus as a departure point and stopover for international train travel. Operator GoVolta is expected to start a daily service between Amsterdam and Paris from 14 December 2026, with a stop at The Hague Hollands Spoor. In addition, the operator has announced new plans for direct trains from The Hague to Cologne and via Luxembourg to Strasbourg. Arriva also notified the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) earlier this year of plans for a service between The Hague and Paris.
The developments show that interest among rail operators in The Hague is growing. GoVolta’s new service to Paris will make the city directly accessible from places including Antwerp, Ghent and Paris. For Belgian and French travellers, this will make it easier to visit The Hague without travelling by car or plane. This fits with The Hague’s ambition to encourage sustainable tourism and attract visitors from nearby European markets to choose a conscious city break in the city by the sea.
New plans for Cologne and Luxembourg
GoVolta has also recently announced plans for two new international connections from The Hague. The operator intends to run trains from December 2027 between The Hague and Cologne, and between The Hague and Strasbourg, via cities including Antwerp, Brussels and Luxembourg. For now, these are proposed services that have been notified to the ACM.
In addition, Arriva announced in July 2026 that it intends to operate three daily trains between The Hague Hollands Spoor and Paris. Arriva has named 1 February 2028 as the intended start date, or earlier if possible.
Added value
The Municipality of The Hague is positive about the developments. “International rail connections improve the sustainable accessibility of The Hague as the International City of Peace and Justice,” says alderman Adeel Mahmood (whose portfolio includes Mobility and Parking, the MRDH Transport Authority and the Environment). “It is good to see that several operators are including us in their plans for new European connections. This will make us easier and faster to reach.”
For The Hague & Partners, the developments also fit within the broader focus on future-proof tourism, in which accessibility, liveability and sustainability go hand in hand.
Marco Esser, Director of The Hague & Partners: “Belgium, France and Germany are important nearby markets for The Hague. There we position the city as a royal and cultural city by the sea. Direct train connections lower the threshold for choosing The Hague and make sustainable door-to-door travel more attractive.”
Growing demand
The new and planned train connections are in line with growing interest in international rail travel. Research by NBTC shows that 58 percent of Belgians and 69 percent of French people would choose the train more often if more direct connections were available. At the same time, high ticket prices, transfers and long journey times are still frequently cited as barriers.
The various notifications are not yet a guarantee that all services will actually operate according to the proposed timetables. Among other things, operators must be allocated sufficient rail capacity.
Source: The Hague & Partners
Translated into English by The Hague Online
Image: Train at Station Hollands Spoor (Gemeente Den Haag/Hugo de Wolf)
The Hague was recently named the world’s best city for quality of life for the fourth consecutive year. The city currently retains it’s first place in the Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2026 which compares living conditions in cities worldwide. The result highlights the combination of professional opportunities and everyday benefits available in The Hague.
Numbeo’s index combines indicators including purchasing power, healthcare, safety, cost of living, housing affordability, commuting times, pollution, and climate.
The Hague combines an international working environment with the accessibility of a compact city. Companies and professionals work close to government bodies, international organisations, knowledge institutions, and specialist networks. Residential areas, cultural venues, green spaces, and the coast are also within easy reach. The Hague has 11 kilometres of coastline, as well as beaches, dunes, and parks. This allows professionals to combine an international career with access to nature and outdoor activities.
Nur Icar, Alderman for Work, Income and Sport and the Centrum district, said: “Being recognised as the world’s leading city for quality of life for the fourth year in a row is a meaningful acknowledgement. It reflects the combination of qualities that The Hague aims for: a safe, accessible, and liveable city where international organisations, businesses, knowledge institutions, and residents can thrive together.”
Image courtesy The Hague & Partners: The ‘Malieveld’ has been part of The Hague’s public life for centuries. Its role as an open green space is rooted in the Act of Redemption (Akte van Redemptie) of 1576, which helped safeguard the area for public use. Today, the Malieveld continues to serve as one of the Netherlands’ best-known locations for public gatherings, demonstrations, commemorations and celebrations, reflecting the city’s long tradition of civic participation while preserving valuable green space for residents.
A Dutch pilot project just 13 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen has successfully produced green hydrogen on an operational offshore gas platform while natural gas production continued at the same time. The PosHYdon pilot is taking place on the Q13a-A platform and is intended to demonstrate how existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure could potentially be reused as part of the energy transition.
The project shows that renewable electricity from offshore wind could in future be used at sea to produce green hydrogen. That hydrogen could then be transported through existing offshore pipelines, potentially reducing the need to build entirely new infrastructure.
The quantities currently being produced are deliberately small. The aim of the pilot is to test whether the technology works safely and reliably under real offshore conditions and to gather information that could support larger-scale hydrogen projects in the future.
Over the coming months, TNO and the other project partners will analyse the results of the pilot. The findings are expected to help determine the next steps for scaling up offshore hydrogen production and reusing existing North Sea infrastructure.
The PosHYdon project brings together a broad group of public and private partners and is described as the world’s first project to combine offshore wind energy, natural gas production and hydrogen production at sea.
Provided the skies remain clear, The Hague will offer the opportunity to observe a striking partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August 2026.
A total solar eclipse will cross parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal. The Netherlands is outside the path of totality, but viewers here can still see a deep partial eclipse, during which the Moon will cover almost 89 per cent of the Sun’s visible surface.
Video: European Space Agency – ESA
What time is the eclipse in The Hague?
The partial eclipse will begin in The Hague at approximately 19:16, when the Moon starts to move across the Sun.
Maximum eclipse will occur at around 20:11. At this point, the Sun will appear as a narrow crescent.
The eclipse will end at approximately 21:03. Exact timings may vary slightly depending on the viewer’s location.
What will the eclipse look like?
The Sun will not disappear completely from view in The Hague. Instead, it will gradually become a narrow crescent as the Moon passes in front of it.
At maximum eclipse, the Sun will be low in the sky, at an altitude of only around eight degrees. Viewers will therefore need a clear, unobstructed view towards the west or north-west.
The low position of the Sun could make the eclipse particularly striking from the coast. However, buildings, trees and clouds close to the horizon could easily block the view.
Daylight should become noticeably dimmer, and the surrounding landscape may take on an unusual colour. Even with most of the Sun covered, however, the remaining visible portion will still be intensely bright and unsafe to look at without suitable eye protection.
Where to watch the eclipse in The Hague
Open locations with a broad view towards the western horizon will provide the best chance of seeing the eclipse.
Possible viewing locations include the beaches and dunes at Scheveningen and Kijkduin, as well as other open spaces without buildings or trees blocking the setting Sun.
Because the Sun will be so low, even a narrow bank of cloud near the horizon could obscure the eclipse. Check the local weather forecast before deciding where to watch.
How to watch the eclipse safely
Never look directly at the Sun without safe solar-viewing equipment, even when most of it is hidden by the Moon.
Use eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer made specifically for direct observation of the Sun. The manufacturer should be able to demonstrate that the viewer meets the requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard.
An ISO or CE logo printed in an online product description is not, by itself, proof that a product has been properly tested. The American Astronomical Society recommends buying from a manufacturer or authorised reseller whose solar viewers have been independently verified.
Ordinary sunglasses, including very dark sunglasses, do not provide adequate protection. Smoked glass, exposed photographic film and homemade filters are also unsafe.
Inspect eclipse glasses before using them. Do not use glasses if the lenses are scratched, punctured, torn, loose or separating from the frame.
Put the glasses on before looking towards the Sun. Turn away from the Sun before removing them.
Eclipse glasses must not be used to look through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses. Optical equipment concentrates sunlight and requires a purpose-made solar filter fitted securely over the front of the equipment.
Where to obtain eclipse glasses
Certified eclipse glasses can be purchased from astronomy retailers and reputable manufacturers. Look for glasses made specifically for direct solar observation that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard.
Check both the manufacturer and the individual seller when buying through an online marketplace. A listing for a recognised brand does not necessarily guarantee that every third-party seller is authorised or that the exact product delivered is genuine.
Delivery time is now also an important consideration. Some specialist suppliers are quoting delivery periods of five to ten days, which may be too late for the eclipse on Wednesday 12 August.
The Hague Online does not endorse a particular seller and cannot guarantee the authenticity, safety, availability or delivery of products sold by third-party retailers.
An alternative if you cannot obtain glasses
The eclipse can also be observed indirectly using a simple pinhole projector. This allows an image of the Sun to be projected onto a surface without looking directly at it.
Do not look at the Sun through the pinhole. The projected image should be viewed with your back towards the Sun.
Weather permitting, the eclipse should provide The Hague with one of its most memorable astronomical sights of the year.
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Starting August 11, the Municipality of The Hague will replace the traffic lights and their installations at five intersections around President Kennedylaan. The work will continue until November 13, 2026.
Phase 1: increased traffic congestion around Scheveningseweg
Work will begin on August 11, 2026, at the intersection of Scheveningseweg and Professor BM Teldersweg. The work will be completed on September 29. The intersection will remain accessible, but road users should expect extra travel time, especially during rush hour. To minimize traffic disruption, an alternative route is available for motorists. See the link at the bottom of this news item for more information.
Why is the work necessary?
The current traffic lights are approximately 15 years old. To prevent malfunctions, failures, and unsafe situations, the municipality is replacing these systems. The new traffic light system is smarter and more energy-efficient. This ensures a reliable and safe traffic system for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and public transport.
Planning of activities
The work at the Scheveningseweg – Professor BM Teldersweg intersection forms the first phase of a larger project around President Kennedylaan.
• Phase 2: Johan de Wittlaan – President Kennedylaan (September 2 to September 25)
• Phase 3: President Kennedylaan – Aert van der Goesstraat (August 19 to September 2)
• Phase 4: Houtrustweg – President Kennedylaan – Conradkade (October 1 to October 23)
• Phase 5: President Kennedylaan – Stadhouderslaan (October 21 to November 13)
More information about the recommended routes can be found at:
