In Nuenen, Vincent van Gogh is present not only in the museum and the story of his studio: churches, mills and paths preserve different traces of his time in Brabant. At the same time, waterways and wetlands show how closely the places are connected to their surroundings. This makes it possible to discover Nuenen, Gerwen and Nederwetten from several perspectives—with art and history as well as nature.
Van Gogh’s time in Nuenen
The interactive Van Gogh Village Museum presents Vincent van Gogh as a person and tells the story of his journey towards his first masterpiece, “The Potato Eaters.” The museum is housed in a building erected in 1874 to a design by supervisor Arnoldus van der Korput, which served as Nuenen’s town hall until 1953. There is a bicycle parking facility at the museum.
The Van Gogh Church also connects local history with the artist’s biography. The church was built between 1824 and 1826 as one of the first Waterstaatskerken in the Netherlands. From August 1882, Vincent’s father was pastor there for the Nederlands Hervormde Gemeente. The Van Gogh Church is normally closed to public visitors; it is open on some Wednesdays and Sundays. Check whether it is open before your trip.
The Pastorie en tuin was the Van Gogh family’s home from 1882 to 1886 and is still a private residence. Vincent’s studio and the garden can be visited several times a year; check the dates in advance. Nuenen is also home to the Heilige Clemenskerk, near Van Gogh’s first studio, where he painted “The Potato Eaters.” Another church, the Sint-Clemenskerk in Gerwen, was drawn by him in December 1883.
Several memories converge at the Oude Toren: Vincent van Gogh’s father, Theodorus, is still buried in the cemetery. The foundation of the former tower remains; stone baskets now mark its location. The Wevershuisje adds a rare piece of craftsmanship to the local history: it is one of only a few weavers’ houses still standing in Nuenen and was probably built as a weavers’ house in 1763.
Mills, water and countryside
The De Roosdonck windmill stands north of Nuenen at the junction for Nederwetten and Gerwen. Vincent van Gogh drew and painted the grain mill. The Hooydonkse watermolen tells another story of milling: powered by the waters of the Dommel, it dates back to the 12th century. Its two wooden buildings are partly built over the water and have thatched roofs. A sandy path leads to the mill wheel; a little farther on, on the island, there is a chapel in a small park.
The waterscape is also linked to the history of the Priorij Hooidonk. It was founded in 1146 on a natural island in the Dommel near Nederwetten. A memorial and prayer chapel was built here in 1953, in a procession park with Stations of the Cross. The Miracle of Hooidonk made the priory a place of pilgrimage. At the Watermolen van Opwetten, a restaurant is located on an island in the Kleine Dommel; the mill lies along the “Op pad met Vincent” cycling and walking route. Its 18 information panels tell the story of Van Gogh’s time in Brabant.
The countryside between the villages has its own character, too. The Hooidonkse Beek runs through Nuenen from southeast to northwest and flows into the Dommel at Hooidonk. Nuenens Broek is a wetland area formed by numerous floods of the Dommel. Fast-growing poplars grow there, with a rich understory of hazel and cherry trees.
Exploring on foot, by bike and with maps
Two Van Gogh routes offer different distances and ways to explore: the Van Gogh NP wandelroute Nuenen is a 10-kilometre walking route in the artist’s footsteps, through nature and past cultural heritage sites. The Van Gogh fietsroute Nuenen is 49 kilometres long and leads to Van Gogh highlights in and around Nuenen. Along the way, it passes the Van Gogh Village Museum, the Van Gogh Church—where Vincent’s father was pastor—and the Potato Eaters House.
The VVV Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten offers maps for cycling and walking routes; it is based in the Van Gogh Village Museum. The Nuenen heritage map provides another overview of the area’s built heritage, showing national and municipal monuments. Whether you focus your explorations on art, churches and mills or on the countryside, the places and routes offer different ways to discover the history of this area.
Discover more destinations: Nuenen, Landerd, Reusel-De Mierden, Steenbergen, Breda, Goirle, Laarbeek, Werkendam.
For the broader travel overview: North Brabant.
