Hofvijver
Coordinates: 52°04′48.78″N 4°18′42.37″E / 52.0802167°N 4.3117694°E
The Hofvijver (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɔfɛivər]; English: Court Pond) is a pond in the centre of The Hague. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg (road), in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg (road). In the middle there is a small island with plants and trees which has no name, it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg".
The term pond is actually a misnomer, as the Hofvijver has its origin in a natural dunelake fed by the Haagse Beek (Hague Creek) (Originally: Dunecreek) and the, nowadays muted, Bosbeek (Forestcreek) from the Haagse Bos (Hague Forest). The Haagse Beek still feeds the Hofvijver and so the pond is directly connected to the dunes in Kijkduin.
In this dunelake there was an island (not the current island in the Hofvijver) on which William II built his palace in 1248. Other sources say he built his palace alongside the pond and created a moat around it. The city of The Hague celebrated its 700 years of existence in 1948, suggesting that the city itself places its origin on the building of the palace by Willem II in 1248.
Count Albert decided on the rectangular shape in the 14th century. In the 17th century the Hofvijver got quays and in the 19th century it was elongated. Up to around 1800 the Binnenhof was still encircled by a moat and was only accessible by bridges.
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