Photos: Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Escher's illusions at the Palace
Your local guide
Lotte van Dijk
View profile
Highlights
- Impossible staircases, explained in detail
- Tessellation, step by step
- A former royal palace turned museum
- Street art echoing Escher's patterns
- Visual puzzles, talked through slowly
About this tour
This session describes M.C. Escher's optical illusions from outside the palace that now houses them, then finds an echo of his repeating patterns in a nearby public square. You hear how tessellation and impossible geometry work, described step by step rather than shown on camera. It is a slower, more talk-led session than most.
We stay close to two points rather than moving far, since the ideas need explaining more than the streets need showing. I describe each illusion carefully before moving to the next, and questions come naturally between them. A short reading note on Escher follows by message.
It suits anyone who enjoys visual puzzles and art history explained in plain terms. It works well as a shorter add-on before or after a longer walking session.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of The Hague before heading out.
-
Palace courtyard 15 min
The camera holds on the courtyard of the former royal palace, and I describe Escher's tessellations and impossible staircases in detail, since filming the works inside is not allowed.
-
Nearby square 15 min
A short walk away, you see a public square with a piece of street art that echoes Escher's repeating patterns, which I point the camera at closely.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about The Hague: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Haring (raw herring) and Scheveningen, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through The Hague, showing you Palace courtyard and Nearby square live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk The Hague live with my phone.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Wed 18 Nov · 8 seats left From 21,00 €
Book