On the Trail of Vincent van Gogh

In 2023 I traveled to Netherlands, Belgium and France for personal reasons. During this visit, I tried to visit as many places as I could that Vincent Van Gogh lived in.

I missed a few places. Overall, I’d say the trip is worth it. If you’re a fan of the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, then this “pilgrimage” is a must-do.

Places Vincent Van Gogh visited

Here’s a list I made prior to my journey, to see how many places I could cover:

Age	Year	Location	Country	Notable Events	Notable Paintings	Where to see
0	1853	Groot-Zundert	Netherlands	30 March, birth of Vincent Van Gogh
16	1869	The Hague	Netherlands	Goupil & Cie, Art Dealer
22	1875	Paris	France	Dismissed from Goupil
26	1879	Petit-Wasmes	Belgium	Missionary in a coal-mining district
26	1879	Cuesmes	Belgium	Walked to Cuesmes (75 km)
27	1880	Etten	Netherlands	Stayed with parents
27	1880	Cuesmes	Belgium	Started drawing and painting in earnest, at age 27
27	1880	Brussels	Belgium	Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, November
28	1881	Etten	Netherlands	Returned to parents in April
28	1881	The Hague	Netherlands	Tutored under Anton Mauve, started with water color
29	1882	The Hague	Netherlands	Started painting with oils, falling out with Mauve	Rooftops, View from the Atelier	Private
30	1883	Drenthe	Netherlands	September to November
30	1883	Nuenen	Netherlands	December, back to parents
32	1885	Nuenen	Netherlands	March, father dies of heart attack
32	1885	Nuenen	Netherlands	May	The Potato Eaters	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
32	1885	The Hague	Netherlands	First public exhibition, Leurs, August
32	1885	Antwerp	Belgium	November, stayed in Lange Beeldekensstraat, rue des Images, studied with Peter Paul Rubens
33	1886	Antwerp	Belgium	Academy of Fine Arts
33	1886	Paris	France	March, rue Laval apartment in Montmarte. In June he moved to 54 rue Lepic. Studied under Adolphe Monticelli and bought some of his works.
33	1886	Paris	France	Fernand Cormon’s atelier
34	1887	Paris	France	Vincent moves to Asnieres	Portrait of Pere Tanguy	Musee Rodin, Paris
34	1887	Paris	France	Exhibition at the Grand-Bouillon Restaurant du Chalet, 43 Avenue de Clichy, Montmarte
35	1888	Arles	France	February	Starry Night over Rhone	Musee d’Orsay, Paris
35	1888	Arles	France	The Yellow House, May (2 place Lamartine), Nonexistent now	Most of his greatest work
35	1888	Arles	France		Bedroom in Arles	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
35	1888	Arles	France	October, Gauguin arrives	The Night Cafe	Yale Art Gallery, New Have, Connecticut
35	1888	Arles	France		Van Gogh’s chair	Natioinal gallery, London
35	1888	Arles	France	December, severs left ear
36	1889	Arles	France	Returns to The Yellow House	Self portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe	Private
36	1889	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	Asylum, May	Self portrait with Bandaged Ear	Courtauld Institute of Art, London
36	1889	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	September	Self portrait in blue	Musee d’Orsay, Paris
36	1889	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France		The Starry Night	Museum of Modern Art, NY
37	1890	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	Praise for his work, Les XX invitation
37	1890	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	Feb to April, relapse
37	1890	Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	March to April, 6th exhibition of the Societe des Artistes Independents in Paris
37	1890	Auvers-sur-Oise	France	May	White House at Night, 6 weeks before death	Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
37	1890	Auvers-sur-Oise	France		The Church at Auvers	Musee d’Orsay, Paris
37	1890	Auvers-sur-Oise	France	Shoots himself on the 27th. Dies on 29th July, Theo by his side.	Tree Roots, July 1890, final work	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
	1891	Auvers-sur-Oise	France	Theo dies. Body later moved to the Auvers-sur-Oise cemetery where they lie together, side-by-side.

The general route I would recommend

Here is the route I would recommend:

I would begin my journey at Amsterdam, since most airlines into Netherlands would probably fly into Amsterdam.

Alternatively, you could also round trip from Paris, though it would be longer and not “in sequence”.

Place	Country	Did I visit?
Groot-Zundert	Netherlands	No
The Hague	Netherlands	Yes
Petit-Wasmes	Belgium	No
Cuesmes	Belgium	Yes
Etten	Netherlands	No
Brussels	Belgium	Yes
The Hague	Netherlands	Yes
Drenthe	Netherlands	No
Nuenen	Netherlands	No
Antwerp	Belgium	No
Paris	France	Yes
Arles	France	Yes
Saint-Remy-de-Provence	France	Yes
Auvers-sur-Oise	France	Yes

Let me start with a few places I didn’t visit:

Zundert, Netherlands

I couldn’t visit Zundert because it was out of my route. This was where Vincent Van Gogh was born, in 1853. He was the son of a pastor.

The original home does not exist, and as far as I know there aren’t any permanent exhibits here. This is why I decided I could afford to skip this.

However, there is a Van Gogh Huis (Van Gogh’s House) in Zundert. It has a dedicated museum. Here are the contact details:

Vincent van Gogh Huis
Markt 26-27
4881 CN Zundert
+31 (0)76 597 85 90
vincent@vangoghhuis.com

For tickets, rates and timings, click here.

Etten, Netherlands

Etten is where Vincent’s parents lived after 1875. He visited them occasionally during holidays or when he was between places.

There is a museum (Van Gogh Etten-Leur) here though I’m not sure there’s anything critical you would miss. I had to skip Etten because it was out of my way.

Neunen, Netherlands

This is the only place I skipped that I regret skipping. Even though most of the places have been destroyed and do not exist anymore it is still an important milestone in Vincent Van Gogh’s life.

I would have visited the Van Gogh Village Museum and about twenty four locations and structures in Nuenen that link to Vincent Van Gogh.

To know more about all three places, please visit Van Gogh Brabant (Brabant is the province where Vincent van Gogh was born and raised). You can get tickets for all three places as well as Het Noordbrabants Museum (for a collection of some of his paintings) here.

To know more about what works exist in Het Noordbrabants Museum, click here.

Now let’s start with my journey:

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The most important place in Amsterdam to see Vincent Van Gogh’s work is obviously the Vincent Van Gogh museum. Here you’ll find one of his greatest paintings, The Potato Eaters:

And one of the three (or four?) versions of The Bedroom in Arles:

Important Tip: This applies to every museum in this article. Please purchase your tickets and book your time slots early because if they’re sold out you won’t be allowed to enter. Don’t take this for granted and show up without pre-booking.

One of the highlights of the museum are the various self-portraits of Vincent. This is one of my favorites:

You might be able to cover the museum in two hours if you’re in a rush. Though if you’re a fan and want to return to the paintings a few times, then try to schedule four hours.

The other museums you MUST VISIT while in Amsterdam are the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum. They contain lesser known works of Vincent Van Gogh (among other great painters that you shouldn’t miss!) but please visit nevertheless.

Tip: After Amsterdam I used Voorburg as my base to travel to Den Haag (The Hague), Rotterdam and other places I wanted to visit (Van Gogh wasn’t the only pilgrimage I was making!). Leiden is a more charming option instead of Voorburg.

You can use the Dutch NS railway system to travel between cities. It’s fast and efficient.

Cuesmes, Belgium

Cuesmes (pronounced ‘Kwem’) is in Mons, Belgium. You take the train to Mons and then the bus Cuesmes, if that’s your mode of transportation.

In Cuesmes, you should visit the Maison Van Gogh. You would walk from the bus stop for about 10-15 minutes (Google Maps will help you) until you arrive at the turn:

This is Maison Van Gogh:

It’s a serene place and I absolutely loved it. The original house Vincent and the family stayed in was on the left of the house you see above, but was destroyed.

What do you get to see? Here are some photos:

There’s a small documentary about Vincent Van Gogh’s time in Cuesmes, and the history of the mining village. The people at the Maison Van Gogh are also knowledgable and passionate, so please ask them!

Cuesmes is where Vincent decided to pursue drawing and painting, and he really wanted to help the miners with his art. One starts to visualize and begin appreciating the kind of individual he was.

Fun Fact: This house was inaugurated by his nephew, Vincent (He is Theo’s son. They named him after Vincent Van Gogh).

Bonus fun fact: Vincent Van Gogh’s grandfather was also named Vincent!

From Cuesmes you head back to Mons, then back to Brussels, from where you board a train to Paris.

Paris, France

There are four must-see places in and around Paris related to Van Gogh:

1. Musée d’Orsay
2. The Louvre
3. Montmarte
4. Auvers-sur-Oise

You could visit Auvers-sur-Oise later in the “correct” order, as it is the place Vincent died in. It depends on your itinerary. I wouldn’t have time later, so I visited Auvers-sur-Oise during this stay in Paris. However, I’ll cover it later at the end.

The Louvre

There are some paintings of Vincent in The Louvre. Of course you shouldn’t miss it (do I even have to tell you why?).

Musée d’Orsay

You must visit the Musée d’Orsay, to see The Starry Night over Rhone:

It is an incredible painting that must be seen in real life to be truly appreciated.

You also get a second version of The Bedroom in Arles:

There are also many other great paintings here. It’s probably a more important museum to visit than The Louvre strictly for modern art.

Montmarte

Even though I visited Montmarte I didn’t specifically look for the Van Gogh sites. The Montmarte he knew and painted no longer exists, except for his old home (what remains anyway) at 54 Rue Lepic:

Montmarte is definitely one of the important places to visit while in Paris.

Once you’re done with Paris, take the train SNCF TGV to Avignon and change trains to Arles.

Tip: I used Arles as my base, though if you’re returning back to Paris I recommend Avignon.

Arles, France

Arles is where Vincent Van Gogh was at his most productive. All the important spots are marked so you can’t miss it:

Arles is a small town that has some delightful alleys with its cafes and brasseries. The most important point for me was the banks of the river Rhone:

During summer you’ll be waiting a while before you see any stars. I waited till 10pm and I had a long day ahead so I returned to my hotel. The scene is peaceful and awe-inspiring, but Vincent’s painting is an incredible rendition that makes the original seem banal!

Then there’s this:

The cafe looks better at night without the tourists:

I didn’t eat or drink anything at the Cafe because I’ve heard it was a tourist trap. However, I’m grateful they’ve maintained it as much as they could. Can’t complain.

Then there’s what’s left of the Hospital in Arles, 1888:

Again, I’m grateful it’s maintained, though there’s nothing much to see here except the courtyard. I believe you could visit upstairs on certain days if you wanted the view. Still, the place is serene and you could spend a few minutes taking it all in:

The last important spot is where The Yellow House was located, though it doesn’t exist now (it was destroyed during the war). This is what it looks like now:

The room at Arles was located in the original Yellow House, and they have a reconstruction of it in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (see next).

It was in Arles that the infamous ear incident occurred, and he had to be admitted to an asylum.

All in all, I think you might need two days in Arles so you can experience this beautiful town during the day and night. Also, don’t forget to eat traditional French food with fresh produce. Can’t go wrong in Arles! From Arles you can take a bus to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

I would say Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is also a must-see on the Vincent Van Gogh trail.

Tip: There are limited bus options from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to Arles and back, so plan your trip in detail. I had to get back to Arles but there wasn’t a bus available. I had to get a taxi, which was arranged for me by the incredibly kind people at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence tourist office. Thank you!

The trail at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is already laid out and all you have to do is follow the signs:

I recommend you start at the tourist office, pick up a map and follow the trail from the town center and then head out to the asylum. It’s a one-hour walk, though I think if you really want to take it all in you need a whole day. A day trip would suffice:

Sadly, most of the places he visited and painted have changed drastically. The olive and almond trees still exist, but that’s about it.

You can see Vincent Van Gogh saw the world very differently from what existed. It’s a quick straight walk all the way to the Saint-Paul Asylum (which still functions to this day as an asylum):

There’s a statue of Van Gogh here:

You buy a ticket and enter the section of the asylum open to visitors (away from the actual asylum). Here are a few sights:

Then you head upstairs to a recreation of Vincent’s room (it’s not the actual room he stayed in, but a recreation of his room as it was in Arles, unless I’m mistaken):

Other parts of the asylum:

Everything has been preserved and it creates a great impression on the kind of life Vincent had during his stay there.

It is said he started to get recognized in the art world while he was undergoing treatment. Sadly, he couldn’t appreciate it while he lived.

Eventually, he had to leave because the treatment wasn’t working. He traveled back to Paris, all the way to Auvers-sur-Oise, for better care.

Auvers-sur-Oise, France

Vincent Vant Gogh only stayed in Auvers-sur-Oise for a few months before he died.

Tip: Auvers-sur-Oise is on one side of the river Oise. The town is Mary-sur-Oise, which is the train station from Paris, if that’s the mode of transportation you’re taking. It’s a half-hour walk from the station to Auvers-sur-Oise.

You might want to start here, at Auberge Ravoux and the Maison Van Gogh:

This is where Vincent van Gogh found a cheap place to stay while he was being treated. The room where he lived and died still exists today, and you get a guided tour (no pictures allowed). That’s followed by a small documentary.

It is said they never let out the room to anyone else because of an old superstition. It’s eerie, and almost heart breaking to see the actual room he died in, with Theo by his side.

Downstairs, you have the Auberge Ravoux, a restaurant Vincent ate in. Their menu is sparse, but delicious:

They told me this is the place Vincent typically sat in:

After this you start on a trail of the places Vincent visited for his final paintings and resting place. The trail takes about a couple of hours and I skipped a few places, including the house of Dr. Gachet.

You see the location of the last painting, of roots (it still exists):

They only found the location in 2020. It’s not entirely obvious, but you’ll have to move yourself to see the actual roots from the side:

Then you reach the location of the Wheatfield with Crows:

It’s eerily similar to the painting:

They have taken great pains to keep everything almost the same in Auvers-sur-Oise, so full credit to the town and its people.

Finally, you reach the cemetary:

The final resting places of Vincent van Gogh and Theo van Gogh, side by side:

And that’s that.

Hope you found this useful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me in the comments below.