Before it became part of The Hague municipality, Scheveningen Port was a fishing village. Today, residents maintain their separate identity. Scheveningen Port contains three parts: the seaport at Haven, the old fishermen’s village of Dorp, and the beach resort of Bad (meaning bath).
The rich and royal have long enjoyed the seaside resort, and in the 19th Century, it was a grand place fitting the rich and famous. Sadly, property development has overtaken the 19th Century look and feel of Scheveningen Port. Wherever you are in Scheveningen Port, it is likely to be crowded in the summer, and the nightlife is busy and exciting. Scheveningen Port’s Nooderstrand (Northern Beach) is popular with tourists, and it is the more commercial area. Zuiderstrand (Southern Beach) is more urban and less tourist-oriented, but it is also less crowded.
Being the most popular resort town in The Netherlands keeps Scheveningen Port busy and active. With beautiful beaches and 5-star accommodations and amenities, visitors can be spoiled to their hearts’ content. More active travelers can enjoy walking the dunes or cycling through the village. In addition to the beach attractions, the city contains many interesting museums and activities that all will enjoy.
Scheveningen Port is home to the Museum Beelden aan Zee (Dutch) that holds a collection of contemporary sculpture. Perhaps more interesting, the museum was build underneath a 19th Century beach pavilion in the dunes. It has glass walls and roof that afford views of the dunes, the old pavilion, and the sea.
Scheveningen Port’s SeaLife Museum has an underwater tunnel through 180 thousand liters of tropical sea water where sharks, turtles, and a host of sea life swim above your head. The museum contains fish from the Amazon River, including piranha. Visitors will enjoy viewing seahorses, stingrays, starfish, crabs, and shrimp.
The 1886 Kurhaus (Dutch) was the first real tourist location in Scheveningen Port, and it is the only 19th Century luxury hotel that remains. Still a luxury hotel, it is considered to be the centerpiece of Scheveningen Port. Below Kurhaus’ terrace is an interesting piano bar where the musicians from Crazy Pianos play all types of music from classical sing-alongs to American rock ‘n roll. The players put on a great show.
The Scheveningen Port Lighthouse is the official monument of The Netherlands. This 1875 cast iron lighthouse still in use as a lighthouse, but since radar came into use, it is more of a tourist attraction than a functional lighthouse.
Travelers with an adventurous spirit will enjoy the Holland Casino Scheveningen (Dutch) that offers a complete package with a modern gaming hall, live entertainment, and an outstanding restaurant. The biggest casino in Western Europe, the building is reminiscent of a cruise ship where people enter at a reception desk and ride an escalator that looks like a gangway. The interior is decorated in a nautical theme, with each room like a room on a ship. For example, the roulette room is much like a ship’s ballroom. The slots are on a “promenade deck.”
Scheveningen Port is home to a fascinating miniature city, Madurodam. At a 1:25 scale, the miniature contains revolving windmills, boats sailing the canals, a fire being put out in the harbor, and trains running between stations. The railway, with four kilometers of tracks, is the world’s biggest miniature railway.
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