About us
Willemsvaart has been sailing from The Hague to Scheveningen since 2009, just as King William I envisioned: sightseeing cruises towards the coast.
We also offer cruises within the city and to Leidschendam-Voorburg, Leiden, Delft and Delfshaven in Rotterdam. Quality and personal attention to guests are central to what we do. With years of experience arranging trips in The Hague and Scheveningen, we are happy to advise you without obligation. Around 60 boarding points in and around The Hague, and many more beyond, make it easy to choose a convenient start or finish.
The history of Willemsvaart
Willemsvaart is named after King William I, who, at Mayor Copes van Cattenburch’s request, initiated the construction of a waterway from Prinsessegracht in The Hague to Scheveningen.
Koninginnegracht
The first section, Koninginnegracht, was dug between approximately 1826 and 1834. The second, Het Kanaal, was dug between 1854 and 1864.
Tourists
From 1834, boats carried hundreds of thousands of tourists to the coast for over a century. Initially they sailed to Koninginnebrug, quickly nicknamed Witte Brug because it was white. Passengers continued by carriage along Badhuisweg to the bathhouse. From 1864, boats reached Gondelstraat near Seinpostduin, known from Mesdag’s panorama.
Sightseeing boat at Haringkade
The photograph below shows a sightseeing boat at Haringkade around 1920, with the still-existing Groene Brug at Nieuwe Duinweg in the background. Many cargo boats, including boats from Amsterdam, are moored along the quay.
A dam in the city centre
Sightseeing cruises continued until around 1968, when The Hague municipality decided to build a dam at Dr. Kuyperstraat. The dam was needed because of the increasing number of cars entering and leaving the city via Utrechtsebaan.
Quiet on the water
After 1968, Koninginnegracht and Het Kanaal fell quiet. The four inland harbours at the end of Het Kanaal – Binnenhaven, Schelpengat, Balkengat and Grinthaven – were filled in during 1970. A quiet, forgotten waterway remained.
The end of sightseeing cruises?
For years the dam was seen as the end of cruises on Koninginnegracht and Het Kanaal. Willemsvaart instead saw it as a starting point. With support from alderman Baldewsingh, sightseeing cruises resumed in 2009. At Willemsvaart’s request, two boarding points were built in spring 2009: one by the dam in the city centre and one at Witte Brug near Madurodam.
The new boarding points were designed in the style of the landing that existed at Javastraat before 1900, shown below.
The dam removed
The dam in Koninginnegracht was removed in 2014. Since then, boats can once again sail from the city to the coast.
The Hague’s waterways offer many possibilities again.
Since autumn 2021, Willemsvaart has also operated De Oriënt, a covered salon boat from 1925. It cannot yet reach Haringkade, but can reach Scheveningen via Verversingskanaal. It can also sail to Rotterdam and Leiden. Rain no longer spoils the trip.
