Vincent van Gogh and his family have a special connection to Helvoirt. Vincent visited Helvoirt on church holidays and birthdays. His father was pastor here from 1871 to 1875. In addition to Vincent's parents, brothers and sisters, several other relatives lived in this village. A number of buildings, graves and a State Bible still bear witness to the van Gogh family's stay in Helvoirt.
Experience Van Gogh in Helvoirt
Helvoirt, in the middle of the Van Gogh National Park, is well worth a visit. In the village you walk past various monuments and places that remind you of the time when the family Van Gogh lived in Helvoirt. Besides taking a nice walk on your own, there are also guided open walks on several Sundays!
Activities
In Helvoirt, follow the Van Gogh National Park walk. A beautiful walk (15 km), which starts at the Holy Nicholas Church (Kastanjelaan 16).
Info hiking trail
Vincent drew some sketches in Helvoirt of the church where his father preached. The nature in this region is of a similar beauty to the landscape he knew from his youth and afterwards revisited around Etten and Nuenen. He drew and painted these landscapes with love. Some of these works are permanently exhibited at Het Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, a stone's throw from Helvoirt.
Helvoirt has seven Van Gogh Monuments. Each of them are special locations that refer to the time the Van Gogh family resided in Helvoirt. Read the stories.
In the HelvoirThuis in Helvoirt there is a Tourist Information Point. For more information about the Van Gogh monuments, the history of the village, the surrounding municipalities as well as dining and accommodation options, please visit this information point.
"Vincent shares his memories of Helvoirt with his brother Theo, August 1876 "
"And how friendly Helvoirt and the lights in the village and the tower between the snowy poplars looked that evening, seen in the distance from the road to 's Bosch.─ But it is love that gives it all such great beauty and life."
There is also something for the youth to do in Helvoirt! They can search for Van Gogh. During this walk of about 2.5 km, assignments are made and letters collected. And in the meantime you can learn something about Vincent van Gogh and his family. The Van Gogh treasure hunt is available at the Tourist Information Point for € 3.00 p.p.
At the time the Van Gogh family resided in Helvoirt, it was a traditional Brabant village in a rural setting. In today's Helvoirt there is still much to be seen from the time of Van Gogh. The 7 official Van Gogh monuments in Helvoirt are also well worth a visit. On the basis of the walking booklet 'Van Gogh in Helvoirt' you will be taken on a 3 km long walk through the story of the Van Goghs in Helvoirt. The route takes you past the Van Gogh monuments and other places that were so dear to Vincent.
For lovers of Van Gogh and the Brabant countryside, there are several routes and packages. A visit to the picturesque village can be combined with, for example, the Van Gogh bicycle route or a visit to Het Noordbrabants Museum.
