By bicycle on Van Gogh’s “Starry night”

In Eindhoven, at the village gates of Nuenen, Holland, you can ride bike at dusk and at night, on a unique bicycle lane, inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “The starry night”. Designed by the artist designer Daan Roosegaarde by using an innovative technology specifically developed by Heijimans company, this bicycle lane is lit by thousands of twinkling, phosphorescent stones. A kilometre of stardust for living an enchanting and unforgettable experience.

2015 is Van Gogh’s year. To be precise, on 29th July 2015 the 125th anniversary of the artist’s death – who lived between Holland, Belgium and France – was celebrated. The international renowned painter realized his very first work “The Potato Eaters” right in Nuenen, and also painted Opwetten and Collen’s mills. The bicycle lane connects the two mills, adding a new length to the 335 kilometres long lane, which connects the artist’s parental home to Nuenen in the North Brabant area.

“I wanted to create a place that people would experience in a special way; technology plus active experience, this is what the term “techno-poetry” means to me.” Roosegaarde explained.

The presence of fifty thousand shining pebbles set in the road layout permits a spectacular play of light and poetry, laying down energy by day and releasing it by night. This lighting system does not affect the surrounding habitat and it is very well perceptible at glare, so that it allows pedalling in the dark with much more easiness compared to the other common bicycle lanes.

For safety, along the route some LED light points has been installed as a support to the “natural” lighting, to ensure extra lighting during particularly cloudy days.

 

https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/van-gogh-path/

http://www.vangoghbrabant.com/en/van-gogh-2015/cycle-path