Lubeck or The Hague?

On the beach the two are evenly matched, and both have a long sandy shore within easy reach of the centre, Travemünde by regional train and Scheveningen by tram. Neither sea is warm enough for a swimming vacation.

What differs is the water itself. Lübeck's Baltic bay is calm, shallow and without tides, which makes it gentler for small children paddling, and the wicker beach chairs give it a classic German resort feel. The Hague's North Sea brings wind, waves and currents, so swims are brisker, but it also brings surfers and kitesurfers, and Scheveningen's summer pavilions make it more of a social beach.

The Hague has the edge at the table, mainly thanks to its Indonesian cooking, from a full rijsttafel to a simple plate of rendang, which is among the best outside Indonesia. Its small Chinatown and the Scheveningen fish stalls widen the choice further.

Lübeck's strengths are narrower and more local: marzipan from historic confectioners, smoked herring, labskaus and Rotspon wine, best enjoyed under the ship models of the Schiffergesellschaft. Beyond that it is solid provincial German eating.

Both reward two or so unhurried days of sightseeing, but the appeal is different. In Lübeck the city itself is the attraction: a UNESCO-listed Hanseatic old town of brick Gothic churches, the Holstentor and stepped-gabled houses, where the pleasure lies in wandering the passages and courtyards.

The Hague is a city of institutions and collections. The Binnenhof, the Peace Palace and the embassy streets set a stately tone, and the art is first class: Vermeer and Rembrandt at the Mauritshuis, the largest Mondrian collection in the world at the Kunstmuseum, and Panorama Mesdag. Choose Lübeck for atmosphere and The Hague for paintings.

Neither is a party city, but The Hague gives you more to do after dark. The terraces on the Plein and the Grote Markt stay busy at weekends, and in summer the Scheveningen beach pavilions turn sundowners into dancing.

Lübeck winds down early, with pubs and wine bars in the old town and along the Obertrave, and Travemünde's promenade the liveliest spot on summer nights. In both cities serious clubbers take the train, to Hamburg from one and to Rotterdam or Amsterdam from the other.

Both sit in flat, gentle country with no hills, and both have plenty to offer a cyclist. Lübeck's outdoors is about water and woods: canoeing on the reedy Wakenitz towards the Lauenburg lakes, the clay cliff walk at Brodtener Steilufer and the Holstein Switzerland lakes within an hour.

The Hague's nature is coastal. The Meijendel dunes and the Westduinpark lie between the city and the sea, the old Haagse Bos forest reaches almost into the centre, and windy days bring out kitesurfers and surfers.

The Hague is one of the best bases in Europe for day trips. Delft and Leiden are about fifteen minutes away, Rotterdam and Gouda not much further, and Amsterdam, Haarlem and Utrecht under an hour, with Kinderdijk's windmills and the Keukenhof bulb fields in spring as well.

Lübeck has a good short list rather than a long one. Hamburg is the obvious full day, Wismar and Schwerin's island castle make fine outings, and Ratzeburg and Eutin are pleasant closer to home, but after these the choice runs out.

The Hague is the stronger family choice and works in any season. Madurodam is a ready-made day out, and Scheveningen's sea aquarium, Museon, the Louwman car museum and Duinrell nearby give children plenty of variety even when it rains.

Lübeck shines mainly in summer, when the shallow Travemünde beach and Hansa-Park on the bay carry the trip. Outside the warm months there is little made for children beyond the old town's towers and marzipan shops.

Both are easy without a car, but in different ways. Lübeck's sights lie on an island about 2km long, so you walk almost everywhere, over some cobbles, with the station just across the river from the Holstentor.

The Hague is more spread out but better served. Frequent trams run to Scheveningen and Madurodam, cycle lanes are everywhere, and two main stations put Delft and Leiden as close as a suburb, which is what gives it the edge.

The Hague is the better place to shop. The Denneweg and Noordeinde have antique dealers, galleries and small fashion boutiques, the 1880s Passage makes a covered stroll, and the Haagse Markt is one of Europe's largest open-air markets.

Lübeck offers German chains on Breite Strasse, a few independents in the side passages around Hüxstrasse, and marzipan as the souvenir everyone carries home. For serious fashion, people head to Hamburg.

Lübeck is clearly the cheaper stay. Old-town rooms are moderately priced, tavern and harbour kiosk meals are reasonable, and the train to the coast costs little. Only Travemünde in high summer pushes costs up.

The Hague charges full Northern European prices for rooms, meals and drinks. Weekends, when the government and business travellers leave, bring better hotel deals, and Indonesian and Surinamese eateries and the Haagse Markt keep daily spending down.

The Hague offers more on stage, with a real draw in Nederlands Dans Theater, one of the leading contemporary dance companies, performing on home ground. The Residentie Orkest, conservatory concerts and decent pop venues add depth, though Dutch-language drama and the lack of resident opera limit it.

Lübeck's strengths are opera at Theater Lübeck, which The Hague lacks, and organ music in the Marienkirche, where Buxtehude played. The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival brings it its liveliest season in summer.

Both cities are calm places to unwind, and both have seaside resorts that date from the early nineteenth century. Lübeck's version is Travemünde's spa-resort tradition, with wellness hotels along the bay and a seawater pool complex at Scheveningen's Baltic counterpart, Scharbeutz.

In The Hague, wellness means a full day at one of the large Dutch sauna complexes, with steam rooms, cold plunges and gardens, where nudity is the norm. Lübeck's gentler offer comes from its quiet courtyards and riverside benches.