Scheveningen Beach is an underrated beach destination. On our recent trip to the Netherlands, we stayed 4 nights along lovely Scheveningen Beach. It is conveniently connected to The Hague (Den Haag) via frequent tram service and located around an hour south of Amsterdam. If you’re travelling through the Netherlands and decide to relax for a few days, Scheveningen is idllyic..
During warmer months, there’s over a hundred beach clubs and restaurants clustered side by side in Scheveningen Beach. More than 30 are built specifically for the summer season each year. Most of the clubs also serve food and are great for enjoying drinks if the weather is nice. That is a big *if* when you’re discussing Holland! Scheveningen’s boardwalk also has some seriously whacky Dutch beach sculptures!
Sculptures by the Sea
When we resided in Amsterdam, we spent a considerable bit of time in Scheveningen Beach. It is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam. One summer we stayed at a friends apartment and made it our summer vacation. On our recent visit, we were pleasantly surprised by a large collection of cute and quirky sculptures. They are part of an outdoor exhibit entitled Sculptures by the Sea (‘Beeldan aan Zee’ in Dutch). The sculptures were added to the boardwalk in 2012.
Sculptures by the Sea features several works by American sculptor Tom Otterness. The sculptures are not what you’d expect to find on your typical beach stroll. Some will leave you wondering why they have been placed adjacent to hip beach clubs with bikini clad patrons. However, they belong to the nearby contemporary sculpture museum which was founded by Dutch sculpture collectors Theo and Lida Scholten in 1994.
Otterness’ boardwalk sculptures are most definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. They’re free to view, but admission to the Beeldan aan Zee museum costs extra. Otterness was recently mocked by a New York City sculptor for cruelly shooting and killing a dog in the 1970’s. Perhaps this gives some insight into why Otterness’ work is pretty freakin’ twisted…
Scheveningen Hotels
Where to stay in Scheveningen Beach? We stayed at the lovely Carlton Beach Hotel which offers beautiful rooms featuring large balconies and seaside views. Bell’s company held a training seminar there and the hotel is well equipped to hold small business functions and weddings. The wellness facilities at Carlton Beach include an indoor swimming pool with a solarium, steam bath and fitness center. We can recommend staying there if you want a comfortable few days on a Dutch beach.
Netherlands Travel
There’s a tram stop out the back of the Carlton Beach Hotel. It directly connects people to The Hague’s two main train stations, Den Haag Centraal and Hollands Spoor. Those train stations can connect you with the rest of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport. You can also take international trains to Brussels, Paris and for further European Union travels.
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Wow interesting sculptures however they do grab you attention and obviously that is the intention of the sculptor. Great photos
Yes, the sculptures are certainly attention grabbers! If you go on Tom Otterness’ website there’s photos of some really unique playground sculptures he’s designed…and thankfully nobody is hanging themselves on a slide! 😉
Cool, I should go see that at some point.
Indeed, you should! 🙂
Keep up the incredible work! I can’t wait to see what you write next.