The Best Place to Shop in The Hague, Netherlands

There is a plethora of intimate, idiosyncratic boutiques to explore in The Hague; in larger department stores, you can easily kid yourself that you're there for the architecture—several are housed in period gems. With its historic and artistic connections, the city's art and antiques trade has naturally developed a strong reputation, and you can certainly find treasures here. Despite the Dutch reputation for thrift, haggling for antiques isn't done. That said, some kind of discount can almost always be arranged if you offer to pay in cash. Late-night shopping in The Hague is on Thursday until 9. Increasingly in the center of town, you'll find larger stores open on Sunday; many shops take a half day on Monday.

Denneweg, Frederikstraat, and Noordeinde are best for antiques shops, galleries, and boutiques. For quirky, one-of-a-kind gift shops, try Molenstraat and Papestraat. You'll find chain stores in the pretty, light-filled Hague Passage (Spuistraat 26), which dates to the 1880s and is the Netherlands' last remaining period mall. In the little streets behind the Passage are more fashion and housewares boutiques. Between the Venestraat and Nieuwstraat is the charmingly named Haagsche Bluf (the name is akin to the "hot air" coming out of Washington, D.C.) pedestrian mall, featuring mainly clothing chain stores.