Van Gogh

Van Gogh National Park is a national park in the Dutch province of North Brabant, between 's-Hertogenbosch, Helmond, Eindhoven, Tilburg and Breda, covering about 1,200 km²^[1]. It was named after the painter Vincent van Gogh, who was born in North Brabant and lived and worked in several places within its boundaries. It is a "new style" national park that includes towns and cities as well as nature areas^[2].

The park is a cluster of nature areas, among them the Loonse en Drunense Duinen national park and Het Groene Woud^[1]. Its forests and nature areas are the setting for walking and cycling routes^[3].

The park's green landscapes include forests, where mushrooms appear in autumn, and the dune areas of the Loonse en Drunense Duinen^[3].

The Loonse en Drunense Duinen, one of the park's core areas, are dune areas, an unusual inland landform in the Netherlands^[1].

North Brabant has a temperate maritime climate, with mild winters, cool summers and rain in every season. Autumn colour and mushrooms in the forests are a seasonal draw^[3].

Vincent van Gogh grew up in this part of Brabant, and the park contains the setting of his painting The Potato Eaters and about 46 Van Gogh-related monuments^[2]. The church he painted in Nuenen and the water mill at Kollen near Nuenen are among the places that shaped his work^[3].

The plan for the park was presented on 30 March 2021, and it received official national park status on 14 October 2024^[1]. It was launched as the first "new style" Dutch national park, which accounts for culture and the local economy as well as nature^[2].

Visitors can follow cycling and walking routes, including food-themed bike routes, and see Van Gogh museums, the Van Gogh Monuments and the watermills of Brabant that fascinated the painter^[3]. The church in Nuenen is the best-known painted landmark^[1].

The park lies close to Eindhoven, about 15 km from its centre point, and its towns offer food, accommodation and events; the park website covers accessibility, dining, lodging and visiting with children^[3].

Staatsbosbeheer is the governing body^[1]. Besides nature conservation, the park aims to promote cultural heritage, sustainability and the local economy, with national park status meant as a motor for area development^[2].