Perhaps the most renowned place in The Hague is the Peace Palace, the UN International Court of Justice residence. Located in Carnegie Square (named after the patron who funded the construction), it represents an unusual, eclectic, but beautiful building surrounded by a neat English garden. It is pleasant to relax next to a lovely small fountain that is in the courtyard.

The Russian Emperor Nicholas II was the first to come up with the idea to found an international arbitration court. He suggested organizing such an international government body during the first peace conference in The Hague in 1899, which was called on his initiative.

The palace construction, sponsored by Andrew Carnegie, ended in 1913. It immediately surprised the citizens with its unusual image because it artfully integrated features of three famous styles: Gothic, Byzantine, and Romanesque as the architect took the Town Hall of Calais as a basis while making the palace project. The Town Hall was built in the XVII century when the mixture of styles became a norm because of long construction.

The most noticeable outer part of the Peace Palace is the clock tower, which Switzerland “presented” to The Hague in 1912. The fountain in the cosy courtyard was created by the masters of the Royal Porcelain Factory in Copenhagen. Germany presented the forged gates, and Belgium – an incredibly sophisticated front door in the fashionable Art Nouveau style. Italy supplied posh marble for interior decoration, and Japan – handmade silk panels. Vases, chandeliers, and various decorations for halls arrived at the Peace Palace from Hungary and Austria. The Russian Empire brought an enormous gilded jasper vase: its weight is over three tones.

Since 1946, the Peace Palace has been hosting the International Court of Justice and a museum, telling the history of how the court was established and how it works. It is also a storage for the largest law library in the world.