The Hague is the tile “whipping” champion

No city has done more to whip their gardens into shape than The Hague, which took home the Golden Tile prize for removing the most paving stones from its gardens, totalling a record 507,000 citywide, breaking the previous record by nearly 50,000.

The NK Tegelwippen, or Dutch National Tile Removal Championship, pits councils against one another to see who can free up the most green space.

According to the organisation, this makes neighbourhoods more attractive, combats flood and rising temperatures and gives children more areas for play.

“It is fantastic that we are still breaking records. It shows that perseverance pays off and that residents consider greenery in the city increasingly important,” Joris Wijsmuller, the director of Duurzaam Den Haag, said in a statement.

Some 150,000 tiles were taken out by residents, schools, sports clubs, and companies participated in the event, according to the council. The remainder were removed by the city in public spaces.

The Hague also won the title in 2021 and 2022.