Den Haag, Leiden, Wassenaar, Scheveningen

's Gravenhage, the heart of the Dutch government has never formally been granted city rights and is therefore actually a village. But it did get the privileges that belonged to a city, and Napoleon gave The Hague the honorary title of 'city' in 1810. However, city rights had already been abolished in 1798. You can find the government and parliament, ministries and embassies. The route also takes you past Palace Noordeinde, the working palace of our king. Leiden originated in the eighth century. No wonder the city is bursting at the seams with history. The oldest university in our country is located there, traditionally the university where the Oranges studied. In Wassenaar you will find estate 'De Horsten', where the royal family lives until the restoration of Paleis Huis ten Bosch is completed. The route also takes you to Scheveningen, where King William I set foot ashore on 30 November 1813 and was subsequently inaugurated as sovereign of our country. Besides, this cycle route takes you through the real polder village of Stompwijk, which is known for all its drawbridges and swing bridges. This place was already created in the 13th century by large-scale reclamation of the Wilde Veenen and was called Stompwijc at the time.