$VAR1 contains a *reference* to a hash - when you do

    {
       'href' => 'site/other/setup.html'
    }
[download]

you create a *reference* to an anonymous hash, and when you assign that to $VAR1, you make the value of $VAR1 a reference to a hash. So, since $VAR1 is a reference to a hash, to use that reference to refer to the hash, you do

   print $VAR1->{'href'};
[download]

and that will print 'site/other/setup.html'.

HTH.