Hague Forest - Den Haag

The Haagse Bos is loved and infamous. Loved for its fresh play meadows, almost all by the water. In no other Hague green space are the lawns more beautiful, amidst quite lush forest edges. The notoriety lies in the shadowy conditions outside 'normal' hours. That's when the Haagse Bos is pitch-dark and the homeless return to their tents. They are people who have nowhere else to go, often migrant workers from central and eastern Europe who have lost their jobs and gone downhill.

Now don't think this place is teeming with vagrants. The tents are well hidden in inconspicuous places and once in a while the municipal sweep through the settlements. You don't notice much of it during the day, except sometimes some Poles hanging out on a bench with beers. These are usually pretty nice guys.
This forest, it is common knowledge, was preserved by the Act of Redemption. This agreement from the 16th century stipulated that it could not be sold or cut down. We can be happy about that, because the Hague Forest also has a rich natural life.

Photo: Matthijs Termeer