The Binnenhof

ProDemos Visitors Centre

Published: 17 April 2012 Modified: 20 April 2012

Guided tours of the Binnenhof, including the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights), Senate and House of Representatives, can be arranged through the ProDemos Visitors Centre. In addition, you can go to the Visitors Centre for guided and self-guided tours of political The Hague.

The Binnenhof ('Inner Court') is a complex of buildings in The Hague's city centre. At its centre, one finds the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights) and the court is studded with monumental old buildings testifying to eight centuries of governing in the Low Countries.

The Binnenhof also has several ample open spaces, all freely open to the public. A gilt neogothic fountain adorns the main square and one of the few Dutch equestrian statues (of King William II) guards the main Stadtholder's Gate, which dates from around 1600.

The Binnenhof is where the House of Representatives meets, the Prime Minister works and the ministers hold their weekly consultations. Once a year, the Senate and the House of Representatives meet in the Ridderzaal in a joint session of the States General. This session takes place on the third Tuesday of September, i.e. ‘Prinsjesdag’, when the Dutch head of state presents the government’s plans for the coming year in the ‘Speech from the Throne’.

Guided tours

ProDemos organises guided tours of the Ridderzaal, the Senate and/or the House of Representatives (Lower House of Parliament). The tours are preceded by a video which sheds light on the history of the Binnenhof.

The guided tours start at Hofweg 1 in the reception area of the Visitors Centre next to Café Brasserie Dudok. You can choose from the following programmes:

Film and visit to the Ridderzaal

Tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Available daily.

Film, visit to the Ridderzaal and visit to the House of Representatives

Tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Available only on Mondays, Tuesday mornings, Fridays and Saturdays. When the House is in recess, the tour is organised daily, apart from Sundays.

Film, visit to the Ridderzaal and visit to the Senate

Tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Available only on Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings.

We recommend that you reserve your tour in advance; reservations are compulsory for group tours. It is possible that one or more buildings cannot be visited because of a special meeting.