The beach in Den Haag, Netherlands.

Most don’t think of the Netherlands‘ Den Haag (the Hague) as a beach town.  Most probably wouldn’t put the words “beach” and “the Netherlands” in the same sentence at all.  But behind the Holland Casino Scheveningen, one of Den Haag’s most famous buildings, you’ll find 11 kilometers of gorgeous beach and coastline.  And if you possess an adventurous spirit (and cold-blooded nature), you don’t have to wait until summer to indulge.

No matter what time of year you visit Den Haag, you’ll find people on the beach.  Some walk.  Some lay out when the sun pokes out its sleepy winter head.  Some just take a glance and head back into the casino to play the slots.  But many – many more than you’d ever think – swim.  Even when the weather seems much too cold to even consider the notion.

During my last trip to Den Haag, I was saddened that I had missed New Year’s Day.  A festive time of year in the Netherlands, Den Haag’s beach hosts a Polar Bear Swim event that’s quite popular.  I wanted to see with my own eyes just how many people would come out for it.  Especially since that year, it was absolutely freezing outside.  Alas, I was two weeks late and could only see the highlights on television – it looked like a great turn-out despite the weather.  But when I finally did arrive and went to walk along the coast line, I found that several people were swimming in the water just for their own sake.  Even though it was only 5 degrees Celcius outside.  And a few weren’t even wearing wetsuits.

While I don’t think I’ll be doing any winter swimming soon – at least, not without a wetsuit and a dare – and can’t necessarily endorse the activity, I do recommend getting out to Den Haag’s beautiful coastline.  If only to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and shake your head at the winter swimmers.

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Photo of Den Haag courtesy of soroll.