Van Gogh Cycle Route Zundert Northwest

Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert on 30 March 1853. The later world-famous Van Gogh was not the first child born to Theodorus van Gogh (1822-1885) and Anna Cornelia Carbentus (1819-1907). Their first son (also named Vincent) was stillborn one year earlier on exactly the same day. This moving story is told at and around the Vincent van Gogh House.

The old parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church used to stand on the site of the Van Gogh House. Vincent lived here until he was sixteen together with his parents, three sisters and two brothers: Anna (1855-1930), Theo (1857-1891), Elisabeth (1859-1936), Willemien (1862-1942) and Cor (1867-1900).

The family often walked in the area around Zundert. Those walks formed the basis of Vincent’s love for the countryside and the farming life. It was a fascination that was later expressed in his work.

This Van Gogh cycle route introduces you to the six Van Gogh Monuments in Zundert, including the various places where Vincent lived, where he sketched and which he described in his letters.

Where Vincent’s story began
Vincent was not born in the current Van Gogh House but next door, in what used to be the parsonage, on 30 March 1853. The building was demolished in 1903. A plaque on the house’s facade commemorates his birth. It is on this site that the Vincent van Gogh House was created by combining two distinctive buildings: the ‘new’ parsonage and the characteristic rectory. Vincent grew up here together with his brothers and sisters. The Vincent van Gogh House offers a stimulating presentation of the life and work of Vincent van Gogh as well as interactive learning experiences. Listen to the story of Vincent van Gogh’s childhood at the informative audio column. You will also find another audio column a little further along at the Dutch Reformed Church.

On Van Gogh Square, behind the Van Gogh House, there is an exceptional work of art. Made by Ossip Zadkine, it was unveiled by Queen Juliana in 1964. It depicts Vincent with his brother, Theo. They are intimately entwined. You may ask: which one is Vincent? The answer is neither of the two. The creator of this work of art has never divulged that information. The statue merely portrays their inseparable bond. 

Cycle through St Willebrord, where one of Vincent’s favourite models lived: Cornelis Schuitemaker, the only Protestant in the village. In 1881, he posed for Vincent van Gogh’s famous drawings ‘Worn Out’ and ‘Man reading at the fireside’. It wasn’t easy to find people who wanted to pose for him. Even so, Vincent continued drawing models whenever the opportunity arose throughout his life. Furthermore, he worked on ‘sellable’ pieces, such as portraits. The reason why Van Gogh drew self-portraits so often is that models were rather expensive for him. You will find an informative audio column next to the church in St Willebrord, at the entrance to the Processiepark. This commemorates Cornelis Schuitemaker.

The Van Gogh Church in Etten-Leur was where Vincent’s father, Theodorus van Gogh, used to preach. This former Dutch Reformed Church was officially renamed Van Gogh Church in 2014, as a tribute to Vincent and his family. There is a permanent exhibition in the church, which introduces you to Vincent’s Etten-Leur period. When you walk behind the church, you will see the Van Gogh Courtyard Garden. This is where the parsonage used to be. The back of the parsonage was extended, and Vincent used the space as a study and later as an art studio. Beside the garden behind the church, you will find a bronze statue of Vincent. There is an audio column by the statue, where Vincent takes you along on one of his walks through the Etten-Leur of that time.

You can then admire the Moeierboom (Linden tree). In the summer of 1881, Vincent’s cousin Kee Vos stayed at the parsonage. Vincent fell passionately in love with her, but when he confessed his love to Kee, she replied with a resolute: No, never, ever! Fuelled by the romantic literature he read, Vincent did not give up. He continued, much to the great annoyance and embarrassment of his family, to bombard her with declarations of love. But to no avail. Her decision was resolute. There is an audio column next to the Moeierboom on the Markt, where Vincent tells about his feelings for Kee Vos. The Moeierboom was planted around 1675 and is one of the most exceptional trees in the Netherlands. 

At intersection 50, you will find the Bisschopsmolen, a watermill in Etten, built in 1744. It functioned as a grain mill until 1959. During his Brabant period, Vincent made numerous drawings of the mills and watermills. It is likely that he drew De Weltevreden windmill on Roosendaalseweg, Etten-Leur, in the spring of 1881 (it was demolished in 1974).

You then cycle through the Pannenhoef, a stunning nature reserve covering approximately 706 hectares, located between the municipalities of Zundert, Etten-Leur and Rucphen. The area used to be known for its peat excavation. Households and beer breweries used the peat for fuel. The oldest Scots pines are around 200 years old, so they were here in Van Gogh’s day. Vincent van Gogh was a fervent nature lover and regularly walked through this area. He wrote extensively about it in his letters. De Zwarte Schuur visitor centre and outdoor classroom is a remnant of the impressive farm in the middle of the Pannenhoef Estate. Take note of the old pump and the bakehouse, where a family of foresters used to live. You can listen to the story of Van Gogh and the Pannenhoef at the audio column behind De Zwarte Schuur.

How does the Van Gogh cycle route work?
The Van Gogh cycle route forms part of the cycle route network in Brabant. There is a Van Gogh cycle route sign at every intersection. Follow the Van Gogh cycle route signs from one numbered intersection to the other. Follow the cycle route network signs between the intersections. Ten short routes in the form of loops have been marked out. The routes are joined together by linking sections.