pinterest pin Landgoed Clingendael en Japanse Tuin in Den Haag

Clingendael Country Estate

Clingendael is one of the most beautiful country estates in the Netherlands. The estate, which is located halfway between The Hague and Wassenaar, has a colorful past. Several aristocratic families have resided on the estate since the 16th century, and various garden and landscape architects have contributed to the look and feel of this country estate since the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century, garden architect Zocher modified the garden's original French design with the popular English landscape style of the time. Later, the garden was transformed into an old Dutch park with the addition of a Japanese garden.

What to do at Clingendael Country Estate?

1. Visit the Japanese Garden

One of the main reasons for visiting the Clingendael Estate is the Japanese Garden ('Japanse Tuin' in Dutch) located in the middle of the estate. It is the sole Japanese garden in the Netherlands, dating from roughly 1910, and hence has a great historical significance. The ambiance in the garden is one-of-a-kind. This is partly owing to the lovely moss cover. The garden also has gorgeous and unusual flora. Azaleas, rhododendrons, and Japanese cherry trees bloom in the spring. The autumn hues of the various Japanese maple trees make the town particularly colorful in the autumn.

The Japanese Garden was designed by Marguerite M. Baroness van Brienen (1871-1939), also known as Freule (Lady) Daisy, who was the former owner of the Clingendael country estate. Lady Daisy sailed to Japan several times and brought back a number of lanterns, a water cask, sculptures, the pavilion, the miniature bridges, and several plants to the Netherlands. All these years, the original design with the tranquil pond, trickling brook, and twisting pathways has remained intact. The pavilion provides an excellent vantage point from which to see the garden.

Historically, the garden was part of the Clingendael Estate, a lovely country home that belonged to one of the Hague's wealthiest families (the family is also in charge of the ‘Hotel Des Indes’ in the center of Den Haag). It now belongs to the municipality and is maintained by workers from ‘Haeghe Schoon en Groen’ from the municipality’s ‘Haeghe Groep’. In 2001, it was designated as a national monument.

However, due to its age and fragility, the garden is open only for 8 weeks in a year (roughly 4 weeks twice a year during spring and autumn). Please refer to the website denhaag.nl/en/in-the-city/nature-and-environment/japanese-garden-in-clingendael-park.htm for more details on opening hours.

lantern at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady standing on red bridge at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

boy laughing at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

2. Take a Walk in the Park

The park has various walking routes to choose from out of which I recommend doing at least one of the yellow (4 km) or the red (2 km) routes.

man walking at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

man standing at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady standing on bridge at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady sitting on stairs at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady standing at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady standing during sunset at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

3. Relax at the Playground

The children can enjoy themselves and families can picnic in the huge playground De Gees, situated behind the Huys Clingendael residence.

boy jumping and throwing dry leaves during autumn at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

lady sitting on dry leaves during autumn at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

4. Sit and enjoy Nature Up Close

If you and your kids are too tired of walking and running around the playground, you can simply sit and watch the cows graze by or overhear important political duck discussions.

bench with flowers at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

ducks walking at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

cows grazing at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

bench with colored leaves at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

5. Sip on a Cup of Coffee

There is also a tearoom where you can stop by for a cup of tea or coffee with apple pie or ice cream.

lady drinking coffee and smiling during sunset at landgoed clingendael clingendael country estate park japanse tuin japanese garden den haag the hague netherlands

How to visit Clingendael Country Estate?

Address: Landgoed Clingendael, 2244 VH Wassenaar

GPS Coordinates: 52.1002° N, 4.3306° E

Parking: There is no parking at Clingendael Estate. You need to approach the park via one of the streets Van Alkemadelaan or Wassenaarseweg and look for street parking.

Public Transport: The Clingendael Estate is accessible by bus lines 18 and 23.

Opening Hours: The Clingendael Estate is open all year and is completely free to visit. However, as mentioned earlier the Japanese Garden within the Clingendael Estate is open for only a couple of months a year (4 weeks twice a year during spring and autumn) due to its age and fragility. Please refer to the website denhaag.nl/en/in-the-city/nature-and-environment/japanese-garden-in-clingendael-park.htm for more details on opening hours.

Best season to visit: The Clingendael Estate and the Japanese Garden are particularly beautiful during late spring and late autumn.

Best time to visit: Early morning or late evening.

Special Rules for visiting the Japanese Garden (and not the entire Clingendael Estate):

Dogs, strollers, or baby carriages, as well as electric mobility equipment such as a mobility scooter, are not permitted.
Only a smaller section of the garden is accessible by wheelchair. There is a different entry with a shorter route through the garden for wheelchairs.
In busy seasons you may have to wait outside before entering the garden as the number of visitors allowed in the garden is limited.
The garden may be temporarily closed if the weather is severe, such as during heavy rain.

Map created using Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

Epilogue

So that was all about visiting the Clingendael Country Estate and Japanese Garden in the Hague, the Netherlands. Please let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed reading this article. And until we meet next time, I wish you merry traveling and happy shooting!