Van Gogh's Nuenen Walking Tour (Self Guided), Eindhoven

The small town of Nuenen, located practically a stone's throw from Eindhoven, is a very old Dutch locality that shot into significance as the inspiration behind many of the works by Vincent van Gogh. The painter lived and worked here for 18 months, from December 1883 to May 1885. During this period he created many paintings capturing the images of local people (peasants, weavers, etc.) such as, most famously, "The Potato Eaters", as well as buildings.

Overall, there are more than 20 locations in Nuenen associated with Van Gogh. The artist came to this town shortly after his father became a pastor at the local church, currently known as the Van Gogh Church.

Vincent regularly went out and about during his stay in Nuenen. On these walks, he would see many mills (windmills and watermills), which he would sketch or paint. One such, the Roosdonck Windmill, featured in a total of seven of Van Gogh's paintings, still exists and is an official Van Gogh monument.

In the central park of Nuenen there is the statue of Van Gogh, depicting him out on a walk, plus a group sculpture of the "Potato Eaters" installed nearby, with a special "Van Gogh" chair, sitting on which one can imagine themselves being a great painter. The Vincentre Museum, featuring a number of interactive exhibits, is located directly in front of the house where the artist lived.

The mill, the church, and the house have been preserved just like they were during the Van Gogh time, making the viewer feel like a character in one of his paintings and affording pretty much the same experience as the artist himself had in his day.

If you are artfully engaged and curious to find out how Vincent van Gogh lived and painted, a visit to this lovely town will give you the opportunity to experience his color palette and the bond that he had with Nuenen. To explore some of the town's most notable Van Gogh locations on foot and to see things through the eyes of Van Gogh, following in his footsteps and getting up close and personal with one of the greatest masters of all time, take this self-guided walk!