Park Clingendael

The park grounds of the Clingendael estate are located between Wassenaar and The Hague. Tram 20 takes you from The Hague central to Theo Mann Bouwmeesterlaan in the direction of Duinzegt which is 650 meters from the entrance of the park. The whole journey from Amsterdam takes about an hour and half by public transport or 45 minutes by car.

One of the main attractions in Clingendael is the Japanese garden open for only a few weeks each year. This year the opening dates are 27th April until 10th June followed by 12th-27th October 2019. These dates are based around the flowering times of the various trees. In spring everything blossoms in shades of pink, whilst in autumn the leaves change the overall colour to orange. Aside from the colour the Japanese garden is also famous for its moss covering, parts of which are unusual and delicate. The garden dates from 1910 and the restricted opening dates are also because it is the only garden of this type in the Netherlands from this time period. Aside from plant- life there is a pavilion, several small bridges and Buddhas carefully placed around the garden.

pinkness and moss

Although it is impressive, the Japanese garden is fairly small and does get busy at weekends. Luckily the rest of the park is easily accessable. There are 2 main walking routes within the park of 2km and 4km. These take you past the other attractions including the Clingendael Insitute house, the rhododendron garden and a miniature maze (the Old Dutch garden). There is only one cafe located close to the Japanese garden serving salads, sandwiches, hot food and drinks.

Green and Grey

So to summarise Clingendael is very worth the visit if you want to walk in what feels like nature. By itself the Japanese garden is a long trek from Amsterdam but combined with visiting the rest of the park does make the journey more worthwhile.

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