Just walking among beautiful houses in Den Haag

Jantje

Den Haag was  created as a residence for the count.

They have a statue from Jantje People say, it is the son of the count. (but it is probably just because Jan is a common dutch name.) This is the song about Jantje.

         In The Hague there lives an count         

            And his son is called Jantje

            If you ask him; “where does your father live”

            He will point it with his little hand.

            With his fingers and his thumb              

            On his hat he wears a plume

            At his arm a basket

            Bye my dearest Jantje

In dutch it is a rhyme, but in English it does not work out that way.

Jugendstil in the chinese neighbourhood

In Den Haag daar woont een graaf,

En zijn zoon heet Jantje

Als je vraagt waar woont zijn pa,

Dan wijst hij met zijn handje

Met zijn vinger en zijn duim

Op zijn hoofd draagt hij een pluim

Aan zijn arm een mandje,

Dag mijn lieve Jantje.

The passage is the one of the oldest shopping center in the world. This one is funded by Petrus Josephus De Sonnaville who lived from 1830-1925. (he also was funder of the famous Kurhaus).  The style is Neo-renaissance.

Also Chinatown has a lot of interesting buildings, most of them are in  Jugendstill .

Prison

The Prisoners gate was called Hof van Holland and used as a prison from 1420-1828. You can visit this prison.

One of the most remarkable places in Den Haag is Lange Voorhout.  If you have seen old  pictures from this street, hardly anything has changed here. (exept cars) . Some special buildings can be found on nr.2 Kloosterkerk (church), nr.6 page house, nr. 74 a museum about Escher. And you can find the smallest house here. It is just 1,83 m width. You can not place a bed in it! Just in the length!!!