What if a prolonged power outage causes many familiar services to stop working, with lifts, lights, phones and the internet all unavailable? This autumn, The Hague will test emergency support points in four neighbourhoods to prepare for these kinds of emergencies and crisis situations: Transvaalkwartier, Scheveningen-dorp, Ypenburg and Benoordenhout.
The Hague has significant differences between its neighbourhoods. By running the pilot in areas that vary considerably in terms of population, mobility and type of housing, the municipality can investigate how the emergency support points function under different circumstances and how they can best respond to residents’ needs.
The pilot is now being prepared in the four neighbourhoods together with residents, community organisations and important local networks such as sports clubs, religious organisations and cultural organisations.
Practical exercises will take place in all four neighbourhoods in mid-October. During these exercises, temporary and simulated emergency support points will be set up at familiar and recognisable locations in the neighbourhood to investigate what does and does not work locally.
The trial is intended to help develop real local emergency support points where residents can go for information during an emergency, report a problem or emergency, and find and support one another.
Looking out for each other
Residents and community organisations are also preparing for emergency situations in The Hague neighbourhoods where no practical exercises involving emergency support points are taking place.
For example, neighbours can make agreements about what to do in an emergency. The municipality can provide support where needed.
Preparing for an emergency, such as a prolonged power outage, is largely about looking out for one another. Who are you in contact with? Who could you help? Who could you turn to?
Using a neighbourhood check, residents can make their own preparations and agree together how people in a street, apartment building or neighbourhood can support one another.
National programme: Think Ahead
The pilot in The Hague is part of a national initiative to gain experience with emergency support points.
The exercises will help determine what is needed in terms of organisation, staffing, equipment and funding to further develop these support points.
The Dutch government intends to use this knowledge to build a nationwide network of local emergency support points that can support residents and strengthen resilience during crises and disruptions to essential services.
During an emergency, assistance may sometimes take some time to arrive, particularly when important services are unavailable and there is no electricity because of a major outage or, for example, a cyberattack.
This is why preparation is important. As part of the national Think Ahead campaign, households across the Netherlands have received an information booklet from the Dutch government containing tips and advice on how to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
The development of emergency support points is part of this programme to improve residents’ ability to cope independently and support one another.
Haaglanden Safety Region
The Hague is carrying out the pilot in cooperation with municipalities within the Haaglanden Safety Region.
Leidschendam-Voorburg will also hold a practical exercise this autumn, while the connection between emergency support points and emergency services across the Haaglanden region will also be examined.
If the power is out for several hours, it becomes difficult both to call for help and to receive information about what is happening in the city.
The pilot in the four The Hague neighbourhoods will therefore also investigate whether emergency support points can be used to gather important information from neighbourhoods for the city and emergency services.
The results of the practical exercises will be evaluated by the municipality and Haaglanden Safety Region and shared with the Dutch government.
The route for the NN Marathon The Hague 2026 has been announced. On Sunday, November 1, thousands of participants will run through The Hague and Westland. The marathon thus showcases not only iconic locations in The Hague, but also the characteristic village centers, impressive greenhouse area, and coast of Westland. The combination of city, coast, and region makes the course distinctive within the Dutch marathon landscape.
More than a marathon
The NN Marathon The Hague is a new addition to The Hague’s running offerings. The event encourages sports participation, gets residents moving, and strengthens The Hague’s profile as a sports city by the sea. Through the collaboration with Westland, an attractive and varied course is created that brings together the qualities of the city, the coast, and the region.
The collaboration builds on the positive experiences surrounding the Tour de France Femmes 2024. By joining forces, an event is created that is experienced and supported throughout the entire region. This increases the involvement of residents, associations, entrepreneurs, and volunteers in both municipalities.
City, coast, and region in one route
The course connects different facets of the region. Participants run through neighborhoods in The Hague, pass the Zuiderpark, and follow the coastline from Kijkduin towards Scheveningen. In Westland, the kilometers lead through the village centers of Kwintsheul and Honselersdijk, among others, and along the vast greenhouse horticulture areas.
The Malieveld forms the heart of the event. This is where the starting gun sounds, and where the finish awaits after 42.195 kilometers.
The Hague’s Alderman for Sport, Nur Icar
The strength of this marathon lies not only in the race itself, but also in what the event unleashes in The Hague and the region. It brings residents, associations, volunteers, and supporters together and encourages people to get moving. In doing so, the marathon makes a valuable contribution to sport, health, and connection in both The Hague and Westland.
Westland Alderman for Sport, Anko Goudswaard
Westland is a sporty municipality, and we are proud that a large part of the route of the Marathon The Hague runs through our beautiful area. Together with the Municipality of The Hague, we are making this special event possible. It is a great opportunity to show what Westland stands for: an active and healthy lifestyle, engaged residents, and a strong community life. As far as we are concerned, sportsmanship is not just about participating, but also about enthusiastically cheering on the runners along the course. At the same time, we see the marathon as an opportunity to inspire more residents to get moving.
The complete route of the NN Marathon The Hague 2026 is now online at www.nnmarathonthehague.nl . More information about the event and the various distances can also be found here.
A new academic year is getting underway in The Hague, with thousands of students beginning or returning to their studies across the city. From large universities of applied sciences to specialist arts and hospitality institutions, The Hague has developed into a substantial and increasingly international student city.
At de Haagse Hogeschool (The Hague University of Applied Sciences, THUAS), INTROweek starts today, Monday 24 August, with a programme designed to give new students a warm welcome, introduce them to each other and help them find their way around both the university and The Hague.
The introduction week runs from 24 to 28 August, ahead of the official start of the academic year on 1 September.
A warm start at THUAS
THUAS is one of the largest higher education institutions in the city, bringing together students from the Netherlands and countries around the world.
Its INTROweek combines practical information with opportunities to meet other students and explore student life in The Hague.
Activities during the week include a student lunch, a scavenger hunt through the city and a large information market on Thursday 27 August, where students can find out more about university services, student organisations and life outside their studies.
Valentijn Schulz, co-organizer of the INTROweek: “Personally, I am really looking forward to the Scavenger Hunt, which we are organizing for the first time this year. We are working with the KNAEK scavenger hunt app, which will allow groups of students to hunt for more than 60 unique ‘hunts’ from over 30 participating companies using GPS. From cultural center Amare to brewery Kompaan, from café De Gekke Geit to museum Escher in Het Paleis, all kinds of amazing locations in The Hague are opening their doors to our students on Wednesday, and at almost every location they will also be surprised with fun treats and great perks.”
The introduction programme continues into the evening with the THUAS Intro Party, while new students can also try sports and fitness activities for free from 31 August until 11 September.
Bianca, an incoming first-year Communication student at THUAS: “I find it quite nerve-wracking to start a new degree program soon, especially since I am not from The Hague. That is why I was pleased to see that both the university of applied sciences and the program itself put a lot of effort into a good introduction. Next week, if all goes well, I will already get to know my fellow students, we will receive information about the facilities available to us, the study and student associations we can join, and we will get to know the city a little bit in a playful way. That way, you start your time studying in The Hague feeling a bit more confident.”
HI The Hague brings students together across the city
Students from THUAS will also mix with those from other institutions through HI The Hague, the official introduction week for students across The Hague.
Running from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 August, HI The Hague is open to both Dutch and international students and is designed to bring together newcomers from different educational institutions.
The programme includes a movie night, beach activities, a boat tour and parties, alongside free citywide events.
On Wednesday 26 August, the official Welcome Party takes place at Grote Markt from 17:00 to 23:00, with live music and entertainment. On Thursday 27 August, the Student InfoMarket at THUAS gives students the opportunity to meet student associations and organisations and find out more about opportunities around the city.
HI The Hague is organised by students and works with educational institutions, student and sports associations and the Municipality of The Hague.
More than 37,000 students in The Hague
There are now more than 37,000 students studying in The Hague, with a remarkably broad range of higher education available across the city.
Alongside THUAS, Inholland University of Applied Sciences has a campus in The Hague, while Hotelschool The Hague attracts Dutch and international students preparing for careers in the hospitality sector.
The city’s creative education institutions include the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) and the Royal Conservatoire, bringing art, design, music and dance students into the city’s student community.
At university level, Leiden University has developed a significant Campus The Hague, while Erasmus University Rotterdam’s International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) has long been based in The Hague. TU Delft is also extending its presence in the city through Campus The Hague.
Together, these institutions give The Hague a higher education profile ranging from technology, cybersecurity and international law to business, hospitality, politics, arts and music.
A new university campus in the heart of The Hague
For Leiden University students, this is also the first new academic year with the Spui University Campus fully open.
The campus began hosting lectures on 2 February 2026 in the former V&D and Hudson’s Bay department store building at Spui 5, following an extensive redevelopment of the landmark city-centre site.
Thousands of students are expected to use the building. Leiden University is the largest presence, but the campus also brings together TU Delft, the Open University, Leiden University Medical Center and Universities of the Netherlands.
The campus was officially opened in March by representatives of the participating institutions together with Mayor of The Hague Jan van Zanen.
The idea is not simply to put several universities into one building. The institutions describe the campus as a place where universities can work together and connect research and education more closely with the city.
For Leiden University in particular, The Hague is becoming increasingly important. Its long-term plans anticipate that around one third of Leiden University students could be studying in The Hague by 2030.
The development strengthens the university’s concept of being one university in two cities, Leiden and The Hague.
Studying in an international city
The international character of The Hague also shapes student life.
Students arriving from abroad may need to arrange municipal registration, housing, health insurance, banking and transport while simultaneously adapting to a new education system and building a social network.
For Dutch students moving to The Hague from elsewhere in the Netherlands, the administrative challenges may be different, but discovering a new city, meeting people and finding a place within student life can be just as important.
Study in The Hague provides information for both Dutch and international students, covering study programmes, housing, healthcare, sport, student organisations, work and life around the city.
The Hague Online will also continue sharing English-language news, events and practical information throughout the academic year for students who are making The Hague their home.
And next week, back to primary and secondary school
Higher education may be getting the 2026/27 academic year started this week, but another large group of students still has one week of summer holiday left.
The Hague falls within the Central school holiday region, where the official summer holiday continues through Sunday 30 August. This means most primary and secondary schools in the city will begin the new school year from Monday 31 August.
Welcome to all new and returning students, and good luck with the academic year ahead!
The Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix returns to Circuit Zandvoort this weekend for its final edition, with Dutch design and innovation taking a prominent place on the podium.
For the fourth and final time, Royal Delft has created the official trophies for the Dutch Grand Prix. For this special edition, the Delft-based company worked with FashionTech designer Anouk Wipprecht and artist and innovator Don Diablo to create a collection combining centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary technology and design.
Wipprecht designed the winner’s trophy and the constructor’s trophy in collaboration with Royal Delft.
Her designs incorporate light technology into the Dutch lion and the number 1 using a specially developed electroluminescent material. The flexible material has been integrated directly into the ceramic trophies, making the elements appear to glow from within.
“For me, technology is most interesting when it is not only functional, but gives an object a new form of expression,” says Wipprecht. “In this trophy, I translate the dynamics of Formula 1 into light, transforming the traditional ceramic object into an interactive, almost living interface.”
The decoration combines Delft Blue floral motifs with gold lines inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi. The constructor’s trophy also features deep red, Delft Blue and gold accents referencing the Dutch flag.
Don Diablo created the painted decoration for the second- and third-place trophies. His designs begin with traditional Delft Blue landscapes featuring windmills, sailing ships and maritime elements, before gradually moving towards the futuristic hexagonal forms often seen in his creative work.
The windmill has a personal connection for the Dutch artist and DJ.
“The windmill in the design is a reference to my childhood in Drenthe, where I literally grew up next to a windmill,” says Don Diablo. “It is a nostalgic image that takes me back to my youth.”
All of the trophies are made from high-quality ceramic and are made and painted entirely by hand by Royal Delft’s craftspeople and master painters at its atelier in Delft.
The winner’s trophy will be presented by King Willem-Alexander on Sunday 23 August on the podium at Circuit Zandvoort. It will be presented in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunk, the official trophy case created by Formula 1 partner Louis Vuitton.
About the Dutch Grand Prix
The Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix takes place at Circuit Zandvoort from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 August 2026.
Formula 1 is the international motor-racing championship, with individual races around the world known as Grands Prix. The Dutch Grand Prix is the Netherlands’ Formula 1 race, and this year’s event marks the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
The three-day weekend includes Formula 1 practice and Sprint Qualifying on Friday, the F1 Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, followed by the main Formula 1 race on Sunday.
The weekend also includes F1 Academy and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup racing, together with live entertainment.
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)
