One of the most pivotal paintings Vincent van Gogh made is called ‘The Potato Eaters’ which he painted whilst living in Nuenen, in the south of The Netherlands. While he was living here he made most of his work and perfected his techniques. If you’re into the work of Van Gogh and would like to know more abot where he worked and lived, visit Van Gogh Village Nunen and its splendid museum Vincentre. And the best part is: you can still visit some of the sights that have become famous in Van Gogh’s paintings.
Plan your visit to Nuenen, Van Gogh Village
- If you took a flight to Amsterdam, simply take the train to Eindhoven. Or fly directly to Eindhoven. From Eindhoven central station take a bus to Nuenen.
- Akternatively, you can take a self-guided e-bike tour ‘In the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh’ from Eindhoven, which also takes you to Nuenen and the museum.
- Buy your tickets to the Van Gogh Village Museum (Vincentre) in advance.
- If you’d like more freedom, simply rent a car, so you’ll be able to follow Van Gogh’s footsteps all through The Netherlands.
About Nuenen, The Netherlands
Nuenen is a rather small town in the south of The Netherlands, not too far from both Eindhoven and Den Bosch. In this town Vincent van Gogh lived with his parents between 1883 and 1885. Here he wandered around and took in rural life. He was struck by the poor, yet hardworking people. Their battered faces and devotion to God. He paid them to pose for him, which they willingly did, even though they called him names behind his back.
In the two years Van Gogh lived in Nuenen, he produced 195 paintings, 313 drawings, 25 water colours and 19 sketches, which makes up a quarter of all his work. The most famous painting Van Gogh made in Nuenen is The Potato Eaters, which can be seen in Kröller-Möller Museum in The Netherlands. Today, you can learn everything about Vincent’s time in Nuenen in Van Gogh Village Museum (Vincentre), how he lived there, how he was perceived by the villagers and how his work progressed whilst working in this small town in Brabant. It’s a splendid museum and well-worth a visit.
Van Gogh Village Museum: Vincentre
Personally, I think Van Gogh Village Museum (Vincentre) is not only a good place to learn more about the life of Vincent van Gogh, but it’s also a little like travelling back in time and see how common people in the south of The Netherlands lived in the 19th century. How hard and bleek life was. For me this feels rather personal, as I am origanlly from the south of The Netherlands and know from the stories of my grandparents that everyday life was indeed very hard. Therefore, I think that the Van Gogh Village Museum is not only a tribute to one of the greatest painters of all times, but also to that of the hard working labourers of the time.
What struck me is that Vincent spent his time in Nuenen desperately trying not to be a burden to his parents, as he was slowly becoming a social failure. The museum introduces Vicent’s family, the people he portrayed (with descendants still living in Nuenen) and the paintings he made whilst living in the town. It’s truly a remarkable view into the life of Van Gogh.
Explore Van Gogh Village Nuenen
Nuenen may have been baptised ‘Van Gogh Village’, but you certainly won’t encounter some sort of Van Gogh Disneyland. Nuenen is a typical town in Brabant, yet has made a great effort in the last years to show visitors from all over the world where the Van Gogh family lived, where Vincent worked in Nuenen and how he viewed the village during his time there. When walking around Nuenen you’ll definitely have that feeling of deja-vu and that’s pretty accurate as many of the buildings and landscapes that Van Gogh painted during his time there, are actually still there today. Theferore, wandering around the town of Nuenen pretty much gives you the feeling of walking into several real life works by Van Gogh.
Nuenen isn’t a big town, but within an hour’s walk you’ll be able to encounter 23 (!) places in town that were significant to Vincent van Gogh. 14 of these places he sketched or painted. So, you are literally able to walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps when you visit Nuenen. 17 of the significant places to Van Gogh in the town have an information column. When you press the button it is explained where you are and why this was such a pivotal place for Van Gogh.
Nuenen, The Netherlands (Van Gogh Village)
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29 Comments
Lolo
January 18, 2018 at 11:46 amI wonder what Van Gogh would think if he were alive today, seeing how much the Netherlands has commercialized him and monetizing where he lived and painted when he never sold a painting in his life time. Don’t get me wrong, it would be interesting to see more of his artwork and see where he got his inspiration from! I just always like to think about what historic figures would think if they could see our world today!
Esther
January 18, 2018 at 12:43 pmOh, I absolutely get what you’re saying! I think most of them (maybe apart from Rembrandt, he loved his stardom) would be horrified that you can buy colouring books with their pictures and artwork. However, I think that Nuenen is particularly fascinating because it shows how ‘real’ Dutch people lived in the late 19th century, while most visitors to The Netherlands only get to see the historical glam that was Amsterdam.
Katy
January 18, 2018 at 11:59 amOne of my best mates is obsessed by Van Gogh and even named her son after him. She would love to visit Nuenen one day though I am sure she wont have heard of it before now.
Katherine
January 18, 2018 at 7:42 pmI can’t imagine how hard life would have been in Nuenen back in those days. And thinking about Van Gogh being a burden to his parents and being perceived as a failure always astounds me. His work is so nuanced and beautiful. It clearly didn’t dent his creativity though – that’s a lot of work to have done in two years!
Esther
January 19, 2018 at 8:15 amI have always been pretty heartbroken about the fact that Van Gogh didn’t even sell one painting during his whole life. he lived at the mercy of his brother Theo basically, who supported him financially after their parents passed away. Thank you for stopping by!
Trish
January 19, 2018 at 4:53 pmI remember some of these paintings from the museum in Amsterdam. We spent a chilled Friday evening drinking cocktails and looking at his work – definitely a different way to enjoy his art. I love the idea of seeing places that inspired him. Great advice about how to get there plus combine a trip to Eindhoven.
Deborah Regen
January 20, 2018 at 2:07 pmApart from the mesmerizing art, Van Gogh’s own life is quite a story. It is interesting to learn more about the man, the people he knew and lived amongst, plus his brother Theo. To visit Nuenen would be a way to put the story in a real setting. A town worthy of a visit some day.
Ruth
January 21, 2018 at 8:30 amGood to learn about this period in Van Gogh’s life. It is a bit shocking to know he wasn’t the person his parents or family were expecting him to be. I wonder how Vincent felt about that. However, he pursued his passion even though he was seen as strange person.
Anisa
January 21, 2018 at 4:01 pmI am a big fan of Van Gogh too, so I would definitely love a day trip to Nuenen. I think it would be a great way to get to know more about him.
Obligatory Traveler
January 21, 2018 at 8:09 pmI love Van Gogh. This is a place I’ll need to check out. Thanks for taking the time to visit and share about it. Also, if there was a Van Gogh theme park with sunflower rides someday, I’d be there too.
Anda
January 21, 2018 at 11:49 pmThis sounds like a very interesting place to visit, especially seeing some of the landmarks shown in his pictures. I remember reading a book about Van Gogh’s live when I was in high school. It left me with the impression that he was completely out of his mind. Nonetheless, whet he produced is amazing.
Esther
January 22, 2018 at 10:15 amOh yes, I think Van Gogh pretty much struggled with mental illness his whole life (which is often the case with geniuses) and I guess the people from Nuenen could really spot it a mile off!
Neha
January 22, 2018 at 3:38 amThanks for sharing. There is so much I didn’t know that I’ve learned from reading this post! Pinned for future reference.
Usha
January 22, 2018 at 9:33 amA great post. Van Gogh if could see the recognition and the love he gets from the world, perhaps he some of his self doubts would have vanished and he could have been less troubled. Thank you very much for this post. Happy travelling!
Jan
January 22, 2018 at 10:55 am23 places of interest in such a small area is amazing. No wonder it is referrred to as Van Gogh Village.
Erin Gustafson
January 23, 2018 at 2:16 pmCool. Van Gogh was such an interesting character, always interesting to learn more about him. Nuenen looks like a charming place to do so. I will admit I might even pay money for a “Van Gogh Disneyland with sunflower rides and starry night themed restaurants” too though! Ha!
Emma Raphael
January 23, 2018 at 7:35 pmNuenen sounds fascinating, and very real which really appeals to me. Showing the other side of an artist’s life is fascinating. I haven’t heard of Nuenen, but I would love to visit! 🙂
Elizabeth
January 23, 2018 at 8:01 pmWe are currently in the Netherlands and I had no idea! This looks so fascinating to check out. I’m also a lover of Van Gogh! Next time we are near Eindhoven I’ll need to pop in and explore the village myself! Thanks for sharing this hidden gem.
Sara
January 24, 2018 at 3:48 pmI didn’t even know Van Gogh had a village!! I know that I was really sad that I missed the museum while I was in Amsterdam, but now I feel like there’s even more reason to go back! Side note – the photo in your pinnable image reminds me of my Amsterdam trip. I could swear I’ve seen that church and stood in that vantage point (but that’s impossible). It did, however, make me very happy!
Esther
January 24, 2018 at 6:49 pmOh but Sara, maybe you had a vision about Nuenen and the town was just calling you! 😉
Marcella
January 24, 2018 at 6:52 pmThis is so amazing! What an inspiring place to visit. It actually means much more to me since I watched Loving Vincent, as I felt that I got to learn so much more about his life! Have you seen it?
Cathy
January 25, 2018 at 8:47 pmThat seems amazing that one village played such a huge part in Van Gogh’s life and works – I loved learning a bit more when I last visited Amsterdam, but this would be perfect to really discover more of the Netherlands’ history and everyday life alongside. Perfect as a day trip from one of the bigger cities too by the sound of it.
Sarah
January 26, 2018 at 6:38 pmVan Gogh is my favorite artist – visiting his museum in Amsterdam was life changing! So I would really like to go to Nuenen when and if I get a chance to return to the Netherlands! It looks like it was a great visit for you.
Sharon
January 27, 2018 at 6:38 pmVan Gogh is one of my favorites. We loved the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I would love to visit these small towns where he lived, as you did!
Lisa Jane
January 29, 2018 at 3:31 pmWhat a great idea for a tour to get to know the great man himself;) I really need to watch Loving Vincent, you’ve just reminded me
Janine Good
January 31, 2018 at 10:02 pmA great artist to like! Vincent Van Gogh is an aspiring artist to the point his work is honoured in museums, songs, and other media. This looks like such a wonderful homage and I hope to see it in person one day!
Kana
February 1, 2018 at 12:31 amThis is TOTALLY up my alley! It looks like such an inspiring place to visit! Thanks for joining Fly Away Friday, hope to see you again this week! xo
Rob Baxter
November 9, 2022 at 1:17 pmI used to live in Nuenen many years ago, left in 1980 but it still holds a special place in my heart. I remember it being a lovely place with very friendly people. I don’t think the Vincentre was there then, but look forward to revisiting one day. Tong Ah restaurant on my essential list plus the market which I hope is still held. Nice place to explore the villages from by bike too.
John Shearman
February 17, 2023 at 8:42 pmI am visiting the Netherlands next week for 6 days, my 12th visit to the country since 1963!
I have been meaning to visit Nuenen in the past and am determined to do so on this visit, as this may be my final time in the Netherlands. I am a fit 80 year old.
Sadly Tijn, my Dutch friend of almost 60 years, died two years’ ago but I will be meeting up with his wife Elly.
Thank you for this blog, which I came across by chance, as it has inspired me to make the trip from Amsterdam to Nuenen.