Living in Scheveningen, The Hague
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The Hague's North Sea seaside district, with the beach, the pier, the Kurhaus, and the working fishing harbour. An unusual mix of resort and fishing village, well connected to the Centrum.
Scheveningen is The Hague's North Sea coastal district - a sandy beach about three kilometres long, the Scheveningen Pier (originally built 1901, rebuilt 1961, recently renovated), the Kurhaus grand hotel (1885, the symbolic heart of the resort era), a casino, and a working fishing harbour at the southern end. The district extends inland with Scheveningen Bad (the modern resort core, with apartment towers and hotels), Oud-Scheveningen (the older fishing village core inland from the harbour), and Scheveningen Haven (the harbour quarter). Scheveningen has a distinct identity from the rest of The Hague - locals refer to themselves as Scheveningers and historically maintained their own dialect.
Who lives here
A genuinely mixed population. Long-term Scheveninger fishing families in Oud-Scheveningen, retirees in the apartment buildings overlooking the beach, summer-renting holidaymakers in seasonal apartments, young professionals drawn by the beach lifestyle, a small international cohort, and an artistic community in Oud-Scheveningen. The population fluctuates strongly with the season - summer doubles or triples the people present at peak hours.
What it's like during the day
Defined by the sea and the weather. On sunny days the boulevard fills with walkers, cyclists, kite-surfers, beach cafés. On grey days the boulevard is windswept and quiet but the Pier, Kurhaus and beach restaurants stay active. The fishing harbour has its own working rhythm - boats returning in the morning, the fish auction, restaurants buying directly. Inland Oud-Scheveningen has small fishing-village streets and the Muzee Scheveningen maritime museum.
What it's like in the evening
Lively in season, much quieter out of season. Beach restaurants and bars stay open late in summer - the boulevard from Pier to Kurhaus is busy with restaurants, terraces, kite-surfing schools and music venues. In winter the boulevard restaurants reduce hours, the Pier closes earlier, and the resort feels much sleepier. The casino and the major hotels run year-round.
Getting around
HTM tram 1 runs from Den Haag Centraal directly to Scheveningen (the beach) - about 25 minutes. Tram 9 also reaches the seafront at Scheveningen Noord, while tram 11 runs to Scheveningen Haven (the harbour). Several bus lines connect the harbour, beach and the inland Bad core. Cycling along the dedicated bike paths from Scheveningen to the Centrum is twenty minutes. Cars are heavily used in summer when the beach is busy; parking can be a problem on hot weekends.
Eating and shopping
Defined by fish. Catch by Simonis, Het Heerenhuys 23, De Pier restaurant on the pier, dozens of beach cafés (strandtenten) along the boulevard. Simonis in Oud-Scheveningen for traditional Dutch fried fish. The fishing harbour fish stalls (haringkraam) for herring. For groceries: Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Marqt in the Bad core; smaller shops in Oud-Scheveningen.
When NOT to pick it
If you want central urban life, quiet residential calm year-round, or distance from seasonal tourism. Scheveningen's summer brings crowds, traffic, and noise to the resort areas; winter sees the resort feel sleepy and grey. Some apartment buildings on the boulevard are post-war high-rises with mixed quality. Sea air corrodes fittings and salt damages cars. Scheveningen is at its best for renters who want the North Sea beach lifestyle, a strong distinctive local identity, and a 25-minute connection to central The Hague - and who don't mind the seasonal rhythm.