Vincent van Gogh

Would you like to follow in the footsteps of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh?
You can in the beautiful province of Brabant. National Park Van Gogh provides you the opportunity to dive into the nature that has inspired Vincent Van Gogh. Even though the landscapes have evolved in the years, they still hold the beauty Vincent Van Gogh once used as an inspiration for his paintings.

National Park Van Gogh
The National Park stretches from Zundert in the west of Brabant all the way to Helmond in the east of Brabant. The National Park offers five hiking routes, all starting from a different point of interest. In this blog I will tell you more about the hike starting at the church in Helvoirt.

Hiking route Helvoirt
The hike is 15 kilometers long and starts at the Saint Nicholas Church in Helvoirt. This hike will give you an insight in the places Vincent Van Gogh loved, as well as were his family settled down.

The starting point of the hike is the Saint Nicholas Church, where his father was minister from 1871 up until 1875. Vincent Van Gogh never lived in Helvoirt himself, because he was studying during that period of time and lived elsewhere. But he did frequently come back to visit his family.

A peek inside the church is a must when you start your hike here. There is even an original bible who was donated by Theo Van Gogh to the church. Don’t forget to look up to the ceiling when visiting the church, as it holds some fascinating carvings. There are tours given in the church, visit this link to learn more about the tours provided in the church.

Zwijnsbergen Castle
From the church the hike takes you across the countryside to Zwijnsbergen Castle. Here you find a beautiful bench with a view over Helvoirt. A sketch Vincent Van Gogh also made while he was visiting his family in Helvoirt in 1874. It isn’t a coincidence that he loved the countryside as much, since his father had the rule that his kids had to go outside for an hour everyday to enjoy nature.

Loon and Drunen dunes

From here on out you continue your route all the way to the Loon and Drunen dunes. A place that doesn’t even seem real, with no sea in sight. The area combines beautiful forests, heather fields and dunes. Here you can roam freely along the dunes, but since we are enjoying the hiking route, we stick to our route.

In the Loon and Drunen dunes you find a special tree, the maritime pine. Which is closely connected to the paintings. As the maritime pine is a source for terpentine, which is used to make paint.

Farmshop Ons Jos
Before you return back to Helvoirt you will pass the farmer shop Ons Jos. Here you can pick up all necessities for a picnic. They have the most amazing farm fresh produce, bread and milk.

You could also stop here on your way over to the starting point, as there are many beautiful picnic spots along the route.