Three day cycling holiday Van Gogh Brabant
Experience North Brabant as a masterpiece in a way that only Vincent van Gogh could. Stories of the world’s most famous person from Brabant are to be found in museums, heritage locations and nature reserves. Are you ready for a weekend away or a short break, with a mix of countryside and culture as well as a good story? This route for a 3-day cycling holiday will introduce you to the most iconic places in North Brabant. From Breda to Van Gogh Village Nuenen next to Eindhoven, with plenty of opportunities to stop off along the way for something delicious and home grown in Brabant.
Get your cycling holiday off to a good start.
If you want to get the most out of your first day on the Van Gogh Cycle Route, go to Breda the day before and get on your bike first thing the next morning.
Overnight stay in Breda:
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Hotel Nassau Breda
Hotel Nassau Breda
Day 1: Breda - Zundert
Enjoy the countryside in Etten-Leur
The farming life in Brabant was Van Gogh’s greatest inspiration. From Breda you will follow a lovely rural route towards Etten-Leur. You will be surprised by all the home-grown Brabant products and unusual stories along the way. Take a welcome break at De Santspuy wine and asparagus farm and enjoy a coffee and a delicious treat in lovely surroundings. And of course you can try fresh asparagus soup if you are here in May and June.
Van Gogh’s artistic development started in Etten-Leur and he worked from his first studio here. Walk into the Van Gogh church in the town centre to see an exhibition about this important turning point in his life.
Junctions: 33, 35, 32, 25, 24, 23, 21, 62, 50
Enjoy a good local lunch:
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De Menmoerhoeve
De Menmoerhoeve
In the footsteps of Van Gogh
If you want to enjoy the Brabant countryside a bit more, you can do so along the route at the picturesque De Pannenhoef nature reserve (junction 86). Follow part of the Van Gogh NP Walking Route Etten-Leur past junctions 71, 96, 70, 72, 80, 89, 97, 95, 94, 71 for a lovely 5km walk.
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Van Gogh NP walking tour Etten-Leur
Van Gogh NP walking tour Etten-Leur
More info about Van Gogh NP walking tour Etten-Leur
3 hour 30 minutes 14.0 km
Today’s cycle ride will end in Zundert, the birthplace of Van Gogh. If you want a unique overnight stay, sleep at B&B 't Doktershuys. Round off the day with a delicious dinner at a former convent in Restaurant bij De Nonnen. Beer enthusiasts will feel at home here with delicious Brabant beer specialities!
Day 2: Zundert en Eindhoven
Zundert, where it all began
Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert on 30 March 1853. The old parsonage where he lived until he was 16 is now the Vincent van GoghHuis. Take some time in the morning to get acquainted with his childhood and his early artistic years, and to visit the grave of his young brother. The Van Gogh NP Walking Route will take you past places that remind you of Van Gogh. After that get back on your bike and follow the ‘From Nassau to Van Gogh’ route back towards Breda.
Junctions: 12, 18 ,15, 20, 22, 28, 31, 30, 82
Explore the historic town centre of Breda
Explore the historic town centre of Breda
Take time to explore the historic centre of with its Grote Kerk church, the castle, city park and Beguine courtyard. There are plenty of places to choose from for lunch. Maybe pay tribute to Van Gogh’s famous ‘Potato Eaters’ at De Jongens van Zand & Klei Restaurant, where potatoes play an important role.
Energetic Eindhoven
To see the best of Van Gogh in Brabant during a weekend break or a short holiday, take the train from Breda to Eindhoven. You can take your bike in the train (for a supplement). Forty minutes later you will step out into the largest city in North Brabant and the most innovative city in Europe. Take a snack and a drink at Down Town Gourmet Market, where you will encounter Eindhoven’s energetic and international vibe at its best!
"You can have a good night’s sleep in Eindhoven at Hotel Mariënhage, a boutique hotel housed in an old convent. Or you can sleep in Philip’s monumental Light Tower at WestCord Hotel Eindhoven."
Day 3: Van Gogh Village Nuenen
Closer to Van Gogh
Closer to Van Gogh
Characteristic watermillls, open fields and meandering streams: today you will be cycling along one of the most charming Van Gogh routes from Eindhoven to Nuenen and surroundings. Nowhere does the Brabant rural life, so loved and immortalised by Van Gogh, come to life as around Nuenen.
There’s a good reason that Nuenen is known as the ‘Van Gogh Village,’ This is where Van Gogh felt the most inspired, and where he created his first masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. The Van Gogh Village Museum will take you on a journey through his life, with many personal anecdotes and unusual insights. Around the museum, dozens of heritage sites remind us of Van Gogh’s presence, such as the Van Gogh Church, the Pastorie and Salon Nune Ville.
Cycling in a painting
Signposts from Nuenen indicate the way along the Van Gogh Cycle Route Nuenen (49 km). This is a full afternoon route through varying landscapes and picturesque locations, such as the famous Watermolen van Opwetten watermill, which may be familiar to you.
"For an overnight stay in style, Parkhotel Auberge Vincent and Van Gogh Cottage B&B in Nuenen are highly recommended!”
If you still have some energy left after sunset, get back on your bike for an really unusual ride along the nearby Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path. This magical glowing cycle path was inspired by Van Gogh’s world-famous painting ‘The Starry Night’. It’s like cycling through a painting!
Plan your own cycling holiday along the Van Gogh Cycle Route
The Van Gogh Cycle Route (a total of 435km right across Brabant) comprises 10 unique cycle loops. The route of this three-day cycling holiday combines several cycle loops with routes that are marked out along the junctions. You can adapt the route to suit yourself using the Routeplanner. The Van Gogh Cycle Routes are signposted and can be found online and you can also order them as physical cycling maps. If you don’t have your own bike, you can rent an (electric) bike for this route in Breda (from 2Ride for example) or in Eindhoven (from Velorent).
