Small Group Travel Blog: Expert Travel Tips, Destination Guides & Tour Advice

Today, we take a break from visiting Paris on a small group tour and invite you on a special day trip just 30 kilometers northwest of Paris—to the enchanting village of Auvers-sur-Oise, best known as the place where Vincent Van Gogh spent the last two months of his life. Here, the landscape, the light, and the peaceful surroundings inspired some of his most famous works.

The charm of Auvers lies in its authenticity. The town remains much as it was in 1890, when it was an artists’ colony attracting names like Daubigny, Corot, Pissarro, Cézanne, and of course, Van Gogh. In a letter to his brother Theo in May 1890, Van Gogh wrote: “Auvers is beautiful… really, it is seriously beautiful, full of character and picturesque countryside.”

One of Auvers’ unique features is its outdoor museum—a marked trail that guides visitors to the exact spots where Van Gogh set up his easel. Standing where he painted L’Eglise Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, you can compare the view today with his masterful interpretation, completed in just two days. The real church, restored in 2016, still stands proudly at the top of the hill.

The trail also leads to the cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother Theo are buried, surrounded by wheat fields immortalized in his paintings. Visitors can also see Van Gogh’s modest room at the Auberge Ravoux, preserved as a historical monument, along with the very restaurant where he took his meals—still serving diners today.

What makes Auvers-sur-Oise so special is its quiet beauty. Perhaps because it requires a train change from Paris, it remains blissfully uncrowded, allowing you to enjoy the same peaceful atmosphere that once inspired the artist himself.

For art lovers, history enthusiasts, or anyone seeking a tranquil escape from Paris, a visit to Auvers-sur-Oise is an unforgettable journey into the world of Vincent Van Gogh.

Join The Traveling Professor on one of his delightful small group tours to exciting destinations.