The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings next to the Hofvijver Lake, a Court Pond. The most attractive part of the complex is the Gothic Ridderzaal also known as the 'Hall of Knights', originally built as a ballroom, which today sets up the center of the Binnenhof.
It also houses the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. The building at present is included in the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites list and is among the oldest in-use Parliament buildings in the world, open for a public visit. The building was primarily built in the 13th century as a residence of the Counts of Holland and eventually transformed into a political centre of the Dutch Republic. The meeting of both houses of the Ministry of General Affairs and the States General of the Netherlands happens in Binnenhof. This is from where the king, Willem-Alexander, holds his annual speech from the throne on every third Tuesday of September on Prinsjesdag.
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