TRAVEL

Experience Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ on This Beautiful Illuminated Bike Path

To mark the 125th anniversary of the artists’ death, a group of designers have lit a solar-powered path through historic Van Gogh sites

Natasha Geiling

November 14, 2014

The path opened to the public November 13, 2014. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The Heijmans construction team devised a way to lay thousands of stones, which are illuminated by solar power. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The opening of the path kicks off an international year of remembrance to honor Van Gogh, who died in 1890. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

Van Gogh produced his first masterpiece, *The Potato Eaters,* in Nuenen. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The path forms part of the Van Gogh cycle route, which runs through the Brabant province of the Netherlands, where Van Gogh lived and worked. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

Nuenen, where Van Gogh lived from 1883 to 1885, is located within the Brabant province. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

Roosegaarde says he wanted to "create a place that people will experience in a special way, the technical combined with experience." Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The Van Gogh-Roosegaarde bike path, made of thousands of glowing stones, was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's famous *Starry Night.* Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The path will be open year-round to the public, and completely free. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

LEDS along the path create extra light, in case the panel isn't able to fully charge the surface (due to clouds or other impediments). Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The project's designer, Daan Roosegaarde, stands on the illuminated path. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

A solar panel, located near the illuminated path, is used to help power the stones. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

The illuminated path extends for 1 kilometer (.62 miles) through Nuenen. Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans

To kick off a year of remembrance in honor of the 125th anniversary of Vincent Van Gogh's death, a Dutch artist has created a glowing tribute: a kilometer-long bike path studded with thousands of glow-in-the-dark stones meant to evoke the magnificient swirls of the painter's masterpiece Starry Night. Located in the town of Nuenen, just outside of Eindhoven, where Van Gogh lived and worked from 1883 to 1885, the "Van Gogh-Roosegaarde" bike path is the brainchild of designer Daan Roosegaarde, who teamed up with the construction firm Heijmans to create the magnificent installation.

The path gets its luminescence from 50,000 glow-in-the-dark stones embedded in the ground. The stones soak up the sun's power by day, and then release it at night, resulting in thousands of glowing fragments that are meant to look like the stars in the famous painting. The path is also dotted by LED lights, which enhance the path's visibility on days when the weather might prevent the stones from fully charging. The path, which is part of the larger 335-kilometer (208-mile) Van Gogh Cycle Route, is free and open to the public year round. The project is part of Van Gogh 2015, a year-long celebration that will feature cultural events across France, Belgium and the Netherlands.