Peace Palace (Vredespaleis)

The vast palace is home to a visitor center, where audio-accompanied exhibits detail the history of the building and the international organizations based here. 45-minute tours grant you access to the building’s interior, which features the Great Hall of Justice and the silk tapestry-lined Japanese Room, and should be booked in advance. Peace Palace is often seen from the outside during sightseeing tours of The Hague, while most day trips from Amsterdam incorporate a stop here, and in Rotterdam and Delft.

• As an important part of the Netherlands’ political scene, Peace Palace is a must for travelers with an interest in history and international politics.

• Photography is not permitted inside the palace.

• Bags, cameras, and mobile phones must be stored in on-site lockers.

• You must present a passport, EU ID card, or EU driving license to gain access to the building.

The Peace Palace is in the Zorgvliet neighborhood of The Hague. To get there, ride the tram (line 1) to the Vredespaleis stop.

The visitor center is open from Tuesday-Sunday, September through July, and daily in August. Guided tours are held on select weekends year-round and during several weeks in summer. If you’ve booked a tour, arrive at least 15 minutes beforehand to allow time to pass through security screening.

Peace Palace is one of a series of intergovernmental and EU organizations situated in The Hague’s International Zone. Others include Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency; the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; and—up until it was dissolved in 2017—the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, where former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević was trialled for war crimes.