The Hague, also known as Den Haag, is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is located in the west of the country in the province of South Holland and has an estimated population of 485,818.
Due to its history, the historical inner city of The Hague differs in many ways from the nearby smaller cities of Leiden and Delft. It doesn’t have a cramped inner city that is bordered by canals and walls but instead has small streets boasting rich 18th-century houses built for diplomats and wealthy Dutch families. The Hague features a large church dating from the 15th century, an impressive City Hall from the 16th century and several large 17th-century palaces.
However, after 1850 the government started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society and The Hague quickly expanded. The growing city annexed the rural municipality of Loosduinen partly in 1903 and completely in 1923.
