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Visit the home of Vincent van Gogh The landscape of Emmen served as an important inspiration for Vincent van Gogh. In 1883, the painter spent two months in the region, which left a permanent impression on him. At the Van Gogh House and its surroundings in Nieuw-Amsterdam, you can follow in the footsteps of the legendary painter. A paint palette ready for use, an open drawing box, an unmade bed: if you did not know better, you would expect Van Gogh to arrive back from a stroll anytime. His bedroom in the Van Gogh House has been restored exactly to its original state. “Some say that Van Gogh was looking for the landscape of his youth when he came to Emmen,” explains coordinator Tineke de Roo of the Van Gogh House. While living in Emmen, Van Gogh created nearly 40 works and wrote 23 letters, in which he raved about the beauty of the landscape. The moor landscape of the 19th century comes to life at the Veenpark, the nearby openair museum. Here visitors can view Southeast Drenthe through Van Gogh’s eyes. You can ad-
mire the natural canals of Drenthe during the Van Gogh CanalTour. Nearly 140 years later, the region of Emmen is still an inspiration to many. In the municipality’s ‘Big Five’, nature and adventure go hand in hand. Explore one of the five main attractions: go on a shopping spree in the largest indoor shopping mall of the North, experience the new WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen, discover the moor landscapes that inspired Van Gogh, take a boat tour over the Veenvaart Canal, or explore the UNESCO Global Geopark de Hondsrug. Even today, you can see why Vincent van Gogh was inspired by Emmen.
Photo: Veenpark/Lieske Plaghut
TEXT: CHARLOTTE VAN HEK
Emmen: get inspired! www.emmenmaakhetmee.nl/english www.vangoghdrenthe.nl
Van Gogh House.
Peat Boat with Two Figures, Vincent van Gogh, 1883, collection Drents Museum, Assen