Panorama Mesdag Tours and Activities

Secreted away in a quiet Den Haag side street, Panorama Mesdag is the largest painting in the Netherlands, at more than 45 feet by 400 feet (14 meters by 120 meters). The sea, sand dunes, buildings, churches, lighthouses, and fishing boats of 19th-century Scheveningen are all represented in minute, accurate detail.
 
The Basics
A 360-degree cyclorama of the coastal town of Scheveningen, Panorama Mesdag was painted by Hague School artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag. The painting is housed in an observation gallery where artificial dunes separate viewers from the painting, creating an illusion that you could step right into the landscape. The gallery also features the Mesdag family collection of 19th-century landscapes and Brabazon School works. Temporary exhibitions, often retrospectives of contemporary Dutch artists, are held in the gallery.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Panorama Mesdag is a must-visit for art lovers.
• Audio guides are available for rent at the entrance for a nominal fee.
• Travelers with wheelchairs need to make prior arrangements to visit.

How to Get There
Panorama Mesdag is about a 10-minute walk from the center of The Hague or a 10-minute drive or 25-minute walk from The Hague Central Station. The nearest transit station is Mauritskade, a block away; tram line 1 and bus lines 22, 24, 28, and N3 stop here.

When to Get There
Panorama Mesdag and its surrounding galleries are open from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sunday and select public holidays (Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Boxing Day, and King's Day). It remains closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Hendrik Willem Mesdag
The man behind the panorama, Hendrik Willem Mesdag, was a Dutch artist known for his maritime art, so much so, in fact, that he was commissioned by a Belgian company to create the panorama (which Mesdag later repurchased for his private collection). Much of his art can be found at the nearby Museum Mesdag, which operates in what was once his house.