Nuenen: Van Gogh, Museum and Landscape

A trip to Nuenen can focus on Vincent van Gogh’s time in the village and the various routes through the village and countryside. The Van Gogh Village Museum, guided walks, self-guided routes, and cycling routes each offer a different focus. You can shape your stay around the themes that interest you most: exhibitions and local history, walking, or a longer bike ride.

Van Gogh’s time in Nuenen at the museum

The permanent exhibition at the Van Gogh Village Museum presents the artist’s time in Nuenen. His first masterpiece, “De aardappeleters,” is depicted in a film. In the “Vincents Lichtlab,” visitors can experiment with different lighting techniques; your admission ticket also gives you access to the temporary exhibition. Check the latest ticket information before your visit.

The museum also offers visitors the free “Op zoek naar Vincent” scavenger hunt. It is available in Dutch, English, French, and German. Alongside the permanent exhibition and the light lab, this gives you another way to explore Vincent van Gogh’s time in Nuenen.

Guided walks and routes through the village

The guided “Dorpswandeling” goes through Nuenen, takes place on Saturdays and Sundays, and is about 1.5 kilometers long. The guided “Natuurwandeling” goes through the countryside around Nuenen associated with Van Gogh and is about 3.5 kilometers long. Comparing the distances can help you decide how much walking to include in your day: the village walk is the shorter of the two guided tours. Check the latest information about the walks before your trip.

Other routes are designed for independent exploration. The self-guided route booklet “Op pad met Vincent” takes you to 20 information panels related to Vincent van Gogh. The first walk in Van Gogh Nationaal Park goes through Nuenen and passes several Van Gogh monuments. On the “Van Gogh NP wandelroute Nuenen” walking route, signs reading “Van Gogh Nationaal Park” below the regular numbered junction signs show you the way.

Cycling between village landmarks and mills

The 49-kilometer “Van Gogh fietsroute Nuenen” passes highlights in and around Nuenen. Stops along the route include the Van Gogh Village Museum, the Van Gogh Kerkje, and the house associated with “De aardappeleters.” Another cycling tour, “Fiets en proef van Brabantse bodem,” covers 21.6 kilometers through Nuenen. Compared with the 49-kilometer route, it is the shorter of the two cycling routes described through or around the village.

Just outside Nuenen, the “Van Gogh-Roosegaarde fietspad” runs between the Opwettense and Collse Watermolen. Its play of light and color is inspired by Van Gogh’s “De Sterrennacht.” The Opwettense Watermolen lies between Nuenen and Eindhoven and is a Van Gogh monument. The cycling routes thus take you past both motifs from Van Gogh’s work and mills as distinctive landmarks in the village and countryside.

Local history and landscape

The village’s history can also be traced through specific landmarks. Vincent van Gogh’s father was a pastor at a church in Nuenen. The Dorpspomp has cultural and historical value as a distinctive expression of the development of rural water supply. The Dorpslinde is associated with the planting year 1632. The De Roosdonck mill in Nuenen is currently used for milling grain by volunteers.

The Hooidonkse Beek runs through Nuenen from southeast to northwest and flows into the Dommel at Hooidonk. Along its course, it drops by more than seven meters and therefore flows almost constantly. The Nuenens Broek, a wet woodland with very soggy soil and abundant alders and willows, also lies in the area around Nuenen. Walking trails run through the nature area. The watercourse and wet woodland thus complement the museum and local history with a landscape perspective.

For an overview of the wider trip: Nuenen, Gerwen and Nederwetten.