Practical information regarding The Hague

Transcription

1 Practical information regarding The Hague Informal co-operation of Directors General responsible for Public Administration in the European Union Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union Second Semester 2004 The Peace Palace (1913), the seat of international law! It houses the principal judicial UN body, the International Court of Justice, as well as the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the oldest institution for dispute settlement.

2 Important websites Dutch Presidency of the European Union 2004 Dutch Government Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Department for Economic Affairs Department of Foreign Affairs Royal Family The European Commission

3 Dear Colleagues, Welcome to The Hague The Hague is a beautiful city behind the dunes and today still known as 'the largest village of Europe'. It s a city that is full of history and royalty. The Hague - Europe's largest village The Hague was originally a hamlet close to the count's castle built in the 13th century. The village was first recorded in a document dated 1370, but has never been granted a Charter. Charters entitled medieval villages to erect defence walls and dig moats to protect their citizens. It also gave villages certain privileges, including the right to administer justice. Attempts by The Hague to obtain a Charter were continuously thwarted, although noblemen in the Large Hall of the Count s Castle administered justice. In 1811, The Hague was granted a 48-hour Charter by Napoleon, when he proclaimed The Hague 'Bonne Ville de l'empire'. Passing through on his journey from Amsterdam to Paris he refused to stay in a village. Even today, The Hague has no Charter. From 1851, local legislation no longer distinguishes between city and countryside. The Netherlands now only has municipalities, with the exception of Amsterdam, which is a city under the Dutch Constitution. 's-gravenhage - which is the official name for The Hague and literally means 'the Count's hedge' - was never awarded city rights. Although The Hague gives an outward appearance of being a full-fledged city, it is still today known as 'the largest village of Europe'. Even though voices whispered 'The Hague is the third lar-gest city of the Netherlands' with a population of 450,000, it was still not granted its Charter when it celebrated its 750 anniversary in Coat of Arms Although still without a Charter, The Hague boasts its own Town Arms. The Town Arms was officially laid down by order of the Dutch College of Arms on 24 July 1861 and is described as follows: 'In gold a striding stork of a natural colour, holding in its beak a sable-coloured eel. The shield is covered by an antique count's crown and held by two golden lions looking round'. It is likely that the illustration on the Town Arms is based on the medieval storks that used to build their nests on the little island in the Hofvijver pond. This was seen by The Hague population as a sign of fortune as the storks would finish off all the fish remains after the fish market that could otherwi-se rot and cause infectious diseases. The stork is depicted on all municipal institutions and on the tower of the Church of St. Jacob. The Hague, 'widow of Indonesia' The Hague is also known as the 'widow of Indonesia'. Before its independence in 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony. People working there took regular leave to go home to the Netherlands. Once here, they would stay in The Hague, which also housed the Ministry of Colonies. Hotel Des Indes on the Lange Voorhout used to accommodate many of these travellers on leave. There was a second Hotel Des Indes in Indonesia's capital city of Batavia, now called Djakarta, but this has since closed down.

4 Between 1850 and 1900 the Archipel residential area was built in The Hague. Here many former colonials took up residence in houses along streets that were named after the islands, which make up the Indonesian Archipelago. Following Indonesia's independence, thousands of Dutch and Indonesian people who chose to adopt Dutch nationality came to the Netherlands. Many found jobs at the Ministries. Although the Ministry of Colonies has since closed, due to its past links with Indonesia, The Hague still offers more Indonesian restaurants and tokos (Indonesian shops) than any other town in The Netherlands. If you are interested in learning more about The Hague s history and culture and The Netherlands in general you can visit the following websites: Information about the Dutch Presidency will be available online at from June 30 th.

5 Getting to The Hague from Schiphol Airport There is a direct train connection from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to The Hague Central Station. At daytime trains leave every half hour. At night trains leave every hour. The Schiphol trainstation is directly connected to the airport. The service takes approximately 50 minutes to reach the city centre of The Hague, and costs 6,90 one-way 2nd class, 10,70 one-way 1st class. Please remember that in rush hours trains are usually overcrowded. For more specific information about the hour of arrival and time of departure of trains from and to The Hague, you could call (+31) (0) [EUR 0,50 p/m] or check out the website of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways). Website: A one-way trip to The Hague from the airport by taxi is expensive and costs approximately 65 Euro. Please use taxis leaving from the taxi-stand and make sure to check that the driver turns on the meter. Do not accept offers from drivers solliciting for assignments in the Terminal. Public transport in The Hague There are busses and trams in the Hague (e.g. tram 1 and 9 both go to Scheveningen from the city centre), however we suggest to take a taxi upon arrival at the Hague Central Station. For more information about the public transport system, please check the website and Transport to the 3rd Quality Conference For those who will attend the 3 rd Quality Conference, transportation to Rotterdam will be arranged after the meeting.

6 Accommodation E-government working group I For your accommodation we recommend the following hotels located in Scheveningen. When making your reservation, please remember to inform the hotel that you are participating in the above mentioned meeting of the Dutch Presidency as we have arranged a delegate discount. Carlton Beach Scheveningen**** Gevers Deynootweg HZ The Hague/Scheveningen Tel Fax info@beach.carlton.nl website: Prices per night (including breakfast, excluding city tax): Superior room 144,50 Superior Plus/Deluxe room 169,50 Seaview supplement: 25,00 City tax 3,63 per person per day. Bilderberg Europa Hotel**** Bilderberg Europa Hotel Scheveningen - Mangerie Oxo Zwolsestraat 2 (corner Gevers Deynootweg) 2587 VJ Den Haag Tel.: Fax: europa@bilderberg.nl Website: Prices per night (including breakfast and city tax): Standard Plus room 130,00 (single use) Double use: + 20,00 Free use of swimming pool, suana and steambath City Tax: 3,63 per person per night Badhotel Scheveningen*** Gevers Deynootweg BB Den Haag / Scheveningen Tel: Fax: info@badhotelscheveningen.nl Website: Prices per night (including breakfast and excluding city tax): Superior room 127,00 City Tax: 2,42 per person, per night

7 More hotel information As well as on-line booking through the following websites: PLEASE NOTE: the delegate discount is only valid for the hotels mentioned above! (click look & book ) Contacts: Should you need to contact the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Schedeldoekshaven 200, P.O. Box 20011, 2500 EA The Hague, you can get in touch with the following colleagues: John Kootstra Tel.: Mobile: John.kootstra@minbzk.nl Bart Drewes Tel.: Mobile: Bart.drewes@minbzk.nl Jan-Willem Baijens (logistics) TEAM2004, organisation EU-Presidency 2004 Tel.: Fax: Mobile: jan-willem.baijens@minbzk.nl

8 Map Scheveningen 1 = Carlton Beach Hotel 2 = Bilderberg Europa Hotel 3 = Badhotel Scheveningen

9 Meeting venue E-government working group I The Carlton Beach is located at the end of the famous boulevard in Scheveningen. It s a fourstar hotel with 183 luxurious rooms, the majority of which offer a breathtaking view of the sea. The famous seaside resort city of Scheveningen has so much to offer: sea, beach, dunes, shopping, culture, and last but not least a bustling nightlife with many entertainment spots. And you don't even have to leave your room to enjoy the tangy sea air: all rooms have their own balcony. Carlton Beach in Scheveningen has its own Beach Club. At the Northern part of the Scheveningen Beach, directly in front of the hotel, the Beach Club offers a commonly asked, additional service to their hotel guests and an extra location for Events.