The Van Gogh Kerk Etten-Leur is currently closed due to a renovation/redevelopment. Starting in spring 2025, you can visit the multimedia Van Gogh Experience in the church.
Last summer, something beautiful grew in Etten-Leur. On a meadow of about 1 hectare near De Menmoerhoeve, Vincent van Gogh's world-famous painting 'Vase with 15 sunflowers' blossomed using some 60,000 sunflower seeds and hundreds of thousands of other flower seeds.
Realization of the immense field painting was part of the 'Year of the Sunflower', an initiative of Van Gogh National Park.
As an artist, Vincent van Gogh was at the center of his times. What did simple village life in Etten-Leur look like around 1900? What did Van Gogh find so inspiring about it? Museum The Art of Living in the picturesque Sint Paulushofje - just a few hundred meters from Van Gogh Kerk - explains it all in detail.
Van Gogh community of Etten-Leur is enjoying increasing interest from visitors. There is no more fun way to get acquainted with Etten-Leur than to go out with a local guide!
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Vincent van Gogh often walked long distances through the Etten-Leur area. How beautiful it is to now be able to walk in his footsteps through Van Gogh National Park. This walking route (14 km) is a pure nature walk that starts and ends at De Menmoerhoeve. The route, like the Van Gogh Bicycle Route, is available at the Etten-Leur City Shop / Tourist Information Point at Markt 4.
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Etten-Leur is proud of its world-famous former resident, Vincent van Gogh. This is where he began his artistic career in 1881.
A visit to Van Gogh Etten-Leur begins at the Tourist Information Point at Markt 4. Here you can go for all info, entrance to the Van Gogh Kerk, routes and souvenirs.
The Van Gogh family lived in Etten for seven years, from 1875 to 1882. During those years Vincent lived and worked in The Hague, Ramsgate (England), Dordrecht, Amsterdam and the Borinage (the mining region around Brussels). Etten was Vincent's regular refuge all these years. From April 1881 through December 1881, Vincent lived in the rectory in Etten.
Etten-Leur has five official Van Gogh Monuments:
-The former Dutch Reformed Church (Raadhuisplein 1,Van Gogh Kerk)
-The site of the residence/pastorate and Vincent's first studio and cemetery (Inner Garden)
-The Old Council House (Markt 1)
-The Lambert Church (Markt 62)
-The Wedding Church (Van Bergenplein 1)
It is not The Hague, Brussels, London or Paris, but the North Brabant town of Etten, where Vincent van Gogh makes a serious start to his career as an artist. He is 27 years old when he settles in this village (video) after stalled career attempts as an art dealer, teacher, bookseller and evangelist.
Etten-Leur, Zundert and Breda. Together they tell a wonderful Van Gogh story!
How special it is that one of the most famous artists in the world - Vincent van Gogh - started his artistic career in Etten-Leur. But also that he was born near here, in Zundert, and that much of his family lived in beautiful Breda. From Etten, Vincent often took walks to Breda (especially the Princenhage district) and towards Zundert. You are guaranteed a fun weekend if you visit these three places in "the Van Gogh triangle" in a few days. For example, using one of our Van Gogh cycling routes.
