Travel along with Vincent van Gogh! Visit all the places where the artist has lived and worked.
Zundert
Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert, where his father was a clergyman. On August 29 2008 a special Van Gogh house in Zundert will open its doors. The Van Gogh house will transform into an interactive art center. Here art lovers and tourists can learn all about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh.
Etten
In 1881 Vincent lived in Etten. The Etten Van Gogh information center provides information about his stay in the village. The center organizes a walking tour along with the places that can be recognized from Vincents’ drawings.
The Hague
From 1881 to 1883 Vincent lived in Den Haag. The Gemeentemuseum in Den Haag owns 6 works of Van Gogh. Van Gogh visited the Panorama Mesdag when he lived in Den Haag, this cylindrical painting by the painter Mesdag is also worth a visit.
Drenthe
In 1883 Vincent has spent a few months in the Dutch province Drenthe. The Drents Museum owns one painting of Van Gogh. The Van Gogh House in Nieuw Amsterdam is the only house accessible to the public in the Netherlands where Vincent van Gogh lived and worked. During the summer, a traditional track boat will depart from the Van Gogh house in Lemmer, and from there it will follow the track that made Vincent end up in Nieuw Amsterdam.
Nuenen
In December 1883 Vincent moves in with his family in Nuenen where he will spend the next two years. One of his first paintings in Nuenen is his work of the reformed church. This church is still there and can be visited.
The Van Gogh Documentation Centre in Nuenen houses a permanent exhibition. On the basis of photographs, reproductions of paintings, drawings and letters from the period of 5 December 1883 to 24 November 1885, you get an impression of the work and life of Vincent van Gogh. Tangible memories from that time are a loom, a spinning wheel and various hands of farmers.
The Eindhoven Tourist Office organises guided tours along with the places where Vincent lived: They also organize a Van Gogh painting workshop in the house where Vincent lived for a while.
Paris
Van Gogh arrived in Paris in March 1886. In Paris, Vincent met several Impressionists who influenced his work and point of view as an artist. A large collection of Impressionist paintings can be seen at the Musee D’Orsay.
Arles
When Vincent lived in Arles, from 1888 to 1889, he had the ambition to create a “House of artists”. The Van Gogh Foundation in Arles, created in 1983, aims to achieve this desire offering a permanent cultural activity. The foundation is still working on an English version of the site.
In a house near the Roman arena, Vincent’s room in Arles as he represented it in one of his most famous paintings has been recreated. Vincent’s bedroom has been identically reconstituted right opposite the arena in Arles. This room is worth a visit.
During his stay in the hospital in Arles, Vincent painted the hospital gardens. See the remarkable resemblance of the paintings and the hospital gardens and read more about Vincents’ Yellow house in Arles and his guest, Gauguin, in the Places section.
Saint-Remy
Vincent arrived in Saint Remy de Provence on 8th May 1889. He had come from Arles and wished to be taken in at the Saint Paul de Mausole hospital.
The tourist office provides “A footpath in Saint Remy de Provence walking trail in Van Gogh world”
This tour is an emotional walking trip through the wonderful landscapes which inspired the great impressionist.
The Centre d’Art Presence Vincent van Gogh is located in the Hôtel Estrine and is one of the most important points in Saint Remy de Provence. On the first floor is a permanent tribute to the painter and each year brings an exhibition on a different theme using full-size reproductions of his paintings and slide shows.
The asylum where Vincent stayed is not open to the public, since it is still a working clinic. It is possible to pay a visit by appointment and view Vincent’s room.
Auvers-Sur-Oise
In Auvers-Sur-Oise the hostel Auberge Ravoux, where Vincent spent his last days, is restored to its original state. The hostel, decorated with a fresco of 1884, retains the atmosphere of cafes and artists from that time and serves products and wines that Van Gogh appreciated.
Maison de Van Gogh Auberge Ravoux, 52 Rue du Général de Gaulle
Auvers has more interesting Van Gogh places to visit. The house of Doctor Gachet and the garden of Daubigny are there. And thanks to Van Gogh, the famous church with a neat reproduction of the painting beside it. Up the hill, between the fields that Vincent painted, is the cemetery, where Vincent and Theo are buried.