Nuenen, Gerwen and Nederwetten: Van Gogh and Cultural Heritage

Van Gogh has shaped the cultural history of Nuenen, Gerwen and Nederwetten. Here, a museum, churches and places connected to his life come together with routes through the landscape and cultural heritage. At the interactive Van Gogh Village Museum, learn more about Vincent van Gogh as a person and the path that led to his first masterpiece, “The Potato Eaters.” Historic buildings, religious sites of remembrance and nature routes offer further perspectives on the destination. To plan your visit, you could first decide whether you mainly want to see Van Gogh sites, go hiking or explore by bike.

Van Gogh and the Historic Sites

The Van Gogh Village Museum is housed in a building constructed in 1874 to a design by supervisor Arnoldus van der Korput. It served as Nuenen’s town hall until 1953. There is a bicycle parking facility at the museum. The Van Goghkerkje also connects local history with Van Gogh’s family: it was built in 1824–1826 as one of the first Waterstaatskerken in the Netherlands. From August 1882, Van Gogh’s father was the pastor of the Nederlands Hervormde Gemeente there.

The Van Goghkerkje is normally closed to public visitors, but opens on some Wednesdays and Sundays. Before your trip, check whether your planned visit falls on one of those days. Another stop is the Pastorie en tuin: the Van Gogh family lived there from 1882 to 1886. The house is still a private residence; Vincent’s studio and the garden can be visited several times a year. Check the dates in advance for these visits.

In Nuenen, the Heilige Clemenskerk stands near Van Gogh’s first studio, where he painted “The Potato Eaters.” This is distinct from the Sint-Clemenskerk in Gerwen, which Van Gogh drew in December 1883. North of Nuenen, the De Roosdonck windmill stands at the junction toward Nederwetten and Gerwen. Van Gogh drew and painted the grain mill.

Cultural Heritage and Landscape

At the Oude Toren, the foundation of the former tower has been preserved and marked with gabions. The grave of Vincent van Gogh’s father, Theodorus van Gogh, remains in the cemetery. The site can be viewed from two perspectives: as evidence of the area’s former buildings and as part of the painter’s family history.

Nuenens Broek is a wetland formed by the Dommel’s many floods. Fast-growing poplars shape the vegetation, with a rich undergrowth of hazel and cherry trees below. The Hooidonkse Beek is also part of the landscape: it crosses Nuenen from southeast to northwest and flows into the Dommel at Hooidonk.

The Hooydonkse watermolen dates from the 12th century and is powered by the Dommel. The mill consists of two wooden buildings with thatched roofs, partially built over the water. A sandy path leads to the waterwheel; a little farther away on the island, a chapel stands in a small park. The site’s history goes back further still: the Priorij Hooidonk was founded in 1146 on a natural island in the Dommel near Nederwetten. The Miracle of Hooidonk made the priory a place of pilgrimage. A memorial and devotional chapel was built here in 1953; it stands in a procession park with Stations of the Cross.

On Foot, by Bike and Around the Area

Choose between a walking route and a cycling route to experience the surrounding area in different ways. The Van Gogh NP wandelroute Nuenen is ten kilometres long and follows in Van Gogh’s footsteps through nature and past Nuenen’s cultural heritage. The Van Gogh fietsroute Nuenen covers 49 kilometres and takes you to Van Gogh highlights in and around Nuenen. Its stops include the Van Gogh Village Museum, the Van Goghkerkje, where Vincent’s father was pastor, and the house of the Potato Eaters. The two routes differ considerably in both length and mode of travel—a practical consideration when planning your day.

The “Op pad met Vincent” route offers another way to find your bearings: the Watermolen van Opwetten lies along this cycling and walking route, which uses 18 information boards to tell visitors about Van Gogh’s time in Brabant. The VVV Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten is located in the Van Gogh Village Museum and offers maps for cycling and walking routes. If you would like to explore monuments, the Nuenen heritage map lists national and municipal monuments.

Discover more destinations: Nuenen, Woensdrecht, Haaren, Eindhoven, Sint-Oedenrode, Bergeijk, Waalwijk, Deurne.

For the broader travel overview: North Brabant.