text: Sauntering down leafy avenues past typical Dutch step-­gabled buildings, carpets of crocuses, the occasional cyclist whooshing quietly by and the sun bouncing off the canal, I can think of few more pleasant places to spend a spring weekend than The Hague. This is also prime territory for a gallery­ lover like me: the beautiful, elegant and not-­too-­big Mauritshuis was restored last year. This is also the home of Girl With A Pearl Earring, the 'Dutch Mona Lisa'. But I am not only here for the Vermeer, Rembrandt and Hals. Much more than a village: The Parliament Building stands proud in The Hague - a hidden gem of a city . There is the Escher gallery (devoted to that geometry-­defying genius), the contemporary art Gemeentemuseum and more. Meanwhile, I am being charmed by an unsuspected delight: this medieval city by the sea. 'City? This is Europe's biggest village,' says my guide, Remco Dörr. He is right: The Hague, despite being home to Holland's royal family and an eye-­catching parliament, was classed as a village until Louis Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother and king of Holland) set up here in 1806. It has a genteel moat/canal, which encircles the historic centre. We step across and in front of an approaching car, which slows down deferentially. Remco tells me that many traffic lights have been taken out for aesthetic reasons. 'Now, the cars are very careful,' he says. The Hague is home to one of the cornerstones of European art - Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Earring . You have to love that kind of Dutch logic - though it doesn't seem to apply to cyclists, who rule the place. Next time, I will rent a bicycle, although the trams and buses are easy and cheap (an all-day pass costs €7.70/£5.60). Over the moat, we are in Noordeinde street. Remco ushers me into what used to be part of a palace, and still has huge chandeliers and ornate mirrors. This cobbled part of town is home to private galleries and unassuming cafes (I snacked in the Juni Lekkernijen), as well as altogether more assuming ones. HanTing is the latest Michelin star in town and the best place for Indonesian cuisine. The most prized Dutch colony was apparently run from The Hague (aka 'the Widow of Indonesia'). For summer: the excellent Grapes & Olives and the Café de Bieb on Veenkade will have boats on a newly renovated bit of canal, with music and boat trips planned, including a tour at the Kompaan brewery (I can vouch for the product). My art gorging finishes at the Panorama, an extraordinary, 14 ft-­high circular panorama of The Hague's seaside resort, Scheveningen, painted by Hendrik Mesdag. I take a 15-minute tram to the place itself and gorge on scallops and sole at Catch by Simonis on the harbour front. The Hague has netted a new fan. British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com) flies to Rotterdam Den Haag (half-hour taxi) from £100 return. For tours with Remco Dörr, email remco.dorr@­hotmail.com. Double rooms at the Carlton Ambassador (00 31 70 363 0363, www.carlton.nl/­ambassador) cost from £84, room only. More information on travel in The Netherlands at www.holland.com.
target: The least known of the Dutch cities, The Hague was a village until 1806 .
  It owes its growth to Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, who ruled here .
  The city has a wealth of art, including Vermeer's 'Girl With A Pearl Earring'