New Member | Welcome Van Gogh National Park

In the Dutch province of North Brabant, nature, cultural history, agriculture, residents and visitors come together in a landscape that shaped one of the world’s most celebrated artists. Meet one of our newest Members: Van Gogh National Park.

A landscape full of inspiration

Vincent van Gogh was deeply moved by this landscape as a child, and it went on to inspire him throughout his life. Among the forests, moors and fields, he discovered the raw beauty of nature and the simplicity of farm life.

That bond between people and place is the foundation of the Park today:

Here we build together on a future in which nature and agriculture reinforce each other, and in which cultural heritage is not only protected but also actively experienced.

Van Gogh National Park is the youngest park and has had official park status since October 2024.

Working together across the landscape

The objectives of the Park include:

• strengthening the connection between nature, agriculture, heritage, recreation and the built environment;
• promoting sustainable development and encouraging collaboration in the landscape through innovative ideas and stronger alliances;
• creating a visible and tangible link with Vincent van Gogh, as an inspiration for a greener, more valued living environment.

To achieve this, the Park develops and delivers projects that restore biodiversity and landscape, support nature, inclusive agriculture and sustainable development, and promote education about nature and heritage. It also develops tourism rooted in natural experience and cultural history. Its network includes 80 partners drawn from governments, business and education.

Innovation incubator

Since 2021, the Van Gogh National Park Academy has acted as an incubator for innovative local initiatives, selecting a group of people each year, whether or not they are connected to a partner organisation, and giving them the chance to develop and explore their ambitions. The Academy brings together passionate initiators, public authorities and institutions, accelerating plans and giving creativity free rein. Ideas grow into projects that enhance the landscape, the living environment and regional identity. After seven editions, the most recent of which took place successfully in 2026, the Academy has built a committed network of nearly 90 initiators, with the park acting as a catalyst and connector.

By joining EUROPARC, Van Gogh National Park hopes to exchange knowledge and experience with Protected Areas across the continent. The park is keen to learn about: creating a more nature-inclusive and greener landscape; managing and guiding visitor behaviour; using nature, landscape and culture as storytelling tools to engage and activate citizens and entrepreneurs; health programmes that connect people with nature for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Van Gogh National Park also brings valuable experience to the network, particularly in linking cultural heritage, farming and community-led innovation.

Welcome to EUROPARC! We look forward to learning from one another!