Delft and the Hague - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 253

(€4 entry, covered by Museumkaart—see page 35, Tue-Fri 10:00-
17:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon, tours depart on the hour,
last tour leaves at 16:00, across from parliament at Buitenhof 33,
tel. [phone], www.gevangenpoort.nl).
Panorama Mesdag —For a look at the 19th century's attempt at
virtual reality, stand in the center of this 360-degree painting of
nearby Scheveningen in the 1880s, with a 3-D, sandy-beach fore-
ground. As you experience this nostalgic attraction, ponder that
this sort of “art immersion” experience was once mind-blowingly
cutting-edge (€6, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-17:00, a few
blocks east of the TI/parliament area at Zeestraat 65, tel. 070/364-
4544, www.panorama-mesdag.com).
Escher in the Palace (Escher in Het Paleis) —Compared
to The Hague's other museums, this place is just a trifle...but an
entertaining one. (Think of it as “art museum lite.”) Celebrating
Dutch optical illusionist M. C. Escher (1898-1972), the exhibit
displays replicas of many of his works and traces his artistic evolu-
tion—from the Mediterranean landscapes of his beloved Italy, to
shapes that melt into each other, to mind-bending experiments in
angles and perspective. Hands-on displays let you step right into
an Escher engraving (€7.50, Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon,
Lange Voorhout 74, tel. [phone], www.escherinhetpaleis.nl).
Other Museums —Top options include the Historical Museum
of The Hague (Haagshistorischmuseum), with pieces from
the Rijksmuseum's collection on Dutch history (€4, Tue-Fri
10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon, across the pond
from parliament at Korte Vijverberg 7, tel. [phone], www
.haagshistorischmuseum.nl); and the Gemeentemuseum, display-
ing modern and contemporary art, including a large collection by
Dutchman Piet Mondrian (€8.50, covered by Museumkaart—see
page 35, Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon, farther out at
Stadhouderslaan 41, tram #17 or bus #24 from Central Station, tel.
070/338-1111, www.gemeentemuseum.nl). For details on these and
other attractions, ask at the TI.
Outside The Hague's City Center
All of these sights lie north of the main tourist zone. While worth-
while for the thorough sightseer, they're more difficult to reach
than the sights listed above.
s Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) —The palace houses the
International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of
Arbitration. These two Peace Palace courts attempt to reach
amicable settlements for international disagreements, such as
border disputes. While the judicial process is interesting, the
building itself is the big draw. A gift from American industrial-
ist Andrew Carnegie, it's filled with opulent decorations donated