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Palace · Haia, Holanda Meridional
Vredespaleis
The Palácio da Paz, home to the International Court of Justice of the United Nations and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The visitors’ centre offers an audio guide in Portuguese; the palace and the garden are only visited on guided tours.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Vredespaleis
The Vredespaleis, the Palácio da Paz, was built between 1907 and 1913 to house the Permanent Court of Arbitration, created at the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899. Since 1946 it has also been the seat of the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ principal court.
The building, of brick and stone with a clock tower, was largely paid for by American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Several countries donated materials and objects for its decoration. To this day dozens of hearings a year of the two courts take place there.
The general visitor enters the Visitors Centre, in the entrance building, with views of the palace and gardens. There is an audio guide of about 30 minutes on the site’s history and the courts’ work, available in Portuguese. Entry to the visitors’ centre is free; the centre accepts donations.
The palace interior and the garden can only be seen on guided tours, which sell tickets online about two weeks in advance. Otherwise the front gate allows a view of the façade.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Around 45 minutes at the visitors’ centre. Guided tours of the palace or garden have their own durations: check when booking.
Best time
The visitors’ centre is usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and opens in the afternoon on other days: check before you go. For the guided tour, buy tickets as soon as they are released.
How to get there
It is on Carnegieplein, about a 25‑minute walk from the historic centre, on the way between the centre and Scheveningen. There are trams and buses from Den Haag Centraal. There is no parking on site.
Tip
Use your own phone and headphones for the audio guide; if needed, the centre lends devices. You can combine the visit with the Panorama Mesdag, a few minutes’ walk away, and continue by tram to Scheveningen or Madurodam.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Vredespaleis
Can you enter the Palácio da Paz?
Only on a guided tour, with tickets bought online in advance. Without a guided tour you can visit the visitor center, which is in the entrance building and has a view of the palace.
Is the audio guide available in Portuguese?
Yes. The visitor center's audio guide is available in ten languages, including Portuguese, and lasts about 30 minutes.
Which courts operate in the Palácio da Paz?
The International Court of Justice, the principal court of the United Nations, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, established in 1899.
Is there an entrance fee for the visitor center?
Entrance to the visitor center and the audio guide are free; the site accepts donations. Guided tours of the palace and the garden are paid.