Rick Steves Tour: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh Museum Tour

ORIENTATION

THE TOUR BEGINS

Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890

The Netherlands, 1880-1885: Peasants, Poverty, and Religion

Paris, March 1886-February 1888: Impressionism

Arles, February 1888-May 1889: Sunlight, Beauty, and Madness

St-Rémy, May 1889-May 1890: The Mental Hospital

Auvers-sur-Oise, May-July 1890

The Van Gogh Museum (we say “van GO,” the Dutch say “van hock”) is a cultural high even for those not into art. Located near the Rijksmuseum, the museum houses the 200 paintings owned by Vincent’s younger brother, Theo. It’s a user-friendly stroll through the work and life of one enigmatic man. If you like brightly colored landscapes in the Impressionist style, you’ll like this museum. If you enjoy finding deeper meaning in works of art, you’ll really love it. The mix of Van Gogh’s creative genius, his tumultuous life, and the traveler’s determination to connect to it makes this museum as much a walk with Vincent as with his art.

ORIENTATION

Cost: €18, covered by Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card. Tickets likely available online only (no in-person ticket sales), and even pass holders must reserve a time slot. Buy timed-entry tickets at www.vangoghmuseum.com (tickets go on sale about four months in advance).

Hours: Daily April-Aug 9:00-19:00, Fri until 21:00, Sat until 18:00 (April-June) and 21:00 (July-Aug); Sept-Oct 9:00-18:00, Fri until 21:00; Nov-March 9:00-17:00, Fri until 21:00. Confirm evening hours before you visit.

Information: Tel. 020/570-5200, www.vangoghmuseum.com.

Getting There: It’s the big, modern, gray-and-beige place a few blocks behind the Rijksmuseum; visitors enter via a glass pavilion on the Museumplein. From Centraal Station, catch tram #2 or #12 to the Rijksmuseum or Van Baerlestraat stop.

Tours: The €5 multimedia guide gives insightful commentaries about Van Gogh’s paintings and his technique, along with related quotations from Vincent himself.

Length of This Tour: Allow one hour.

Baggage Check: Free and mandatory.

Cuisine Art: The museum has a cafeteria-style café.

THE TOUR BEGINS