Van Gogh at the Kroller Muller Museum in The Netherlands

Playing tourist in your own country is often times so easy. Of course I knew about the statue garden and the modern art museum Kroller Muller, but I had no idea the museum houses a very large set of Vincent Van Gogh paintings, including one his most famous works and some of his early beginnings. Yes, even Vincent had to start somewhere, and some of it is downright funny to look at.

Most visitors to the Netherlands won't make it to this place, it is in the middle of the country, in a nature reserve, which means you will want to drive there. Arnhem is the largest, somewhat known city (WWII - a Bridge too Far) near the park and museum.

The Museum

You can find the usual details on their website (in English). We actually spent a large portion (5 hours) of the day at the museum, enjoying the outdoor statue garden, eating at the restaurant under the canopy and lastly checking out the inside with the Van Gogh collection. As always, the museum gets busy in the early afternoon. So leave after the peak traffic to get the museum before lunch. From Amsterdam, assume 1:15 to 1:30 hours of driving. From the south, it will take you a little longer with Maastricht being close to 2 hours away.

Food

The restaurant is quite good. Don't expect a very long menu, but some good lunch options, some good snacks, coffee and tea and of course other refreshments. Since the restaurant - we visited in summer - is outside, it is a nice place to sit and enjoy the park. So, add this into your visit and just relax and enjoy looking at the art and the people mulling around.

Don't Miss...

If you are into architecture, do make sure to visit the Rietveld pavilion. It is deceptively simple, but quite amazing. And if you are lucky "Attention" or "Kijk Uit" is open and you can walk up the stairway to heaven, with some cool views at the end. Just beware, it is a long way up. And down.

You can't miss monsieur Jacques, you'll walk right by him to the main entrance, but give him some time. He is totally cool.

You also won't miss Cafe Terrace at Night (here you go, just in case)... but spend some time with some of his early work and you can look at a design study for the Potato Eaters as an example of unique works. His Cypresses are amazing, and some of those are there too.

Well worth the visit when you are visiting the Netherlands!