The Life-Changing Accident Outside Van Gogh’s House

When you hear the name Auvers-sur-Oise, what springs to mind? A peaceful hamlet on the banks of the Oise, an easy train ride from Paris, surrounded by wheat fields and dominated by a distinctive church? An inn where Vincent Van Gogh lived the final months of his life, painting prolifically until his suicide? A cemetery where he and his brother Théo were buried side by side under ivy-shrouded tombs? A walking circuit where you can see reproduced paintings in the spot where they were created? Incredibly, this village outside Paris, today inextricably linked with the name of the great artist, was not always a household name.

Forty years ago, Dominique-Charles Janssens — a Belgian businessman from Bruges — was involved in a terrible car accident caused by a drunk driver outside the Auberge Ravoux. He learned during his long rehabilitation that his accident had occurred outside the place Van Gogh once lived. “But at that time, when we spoke of Van Gogh’s house, we thought of Arles or St Rémy in the south of France,” he explained recently when we met in Auvers. The property, badly in need of a restoration, was virtually unknown. Janssens began reading Van Gogh’s letters, which left a deep mark.

And so, by the hand of fate, Janssens ending up buying the property in 1987, commencing a years-long passion project, buying up the surrounding buildings, to open it up to visitors.

“I traveled all over the world to visit famous houses — Salzburg for Mozart, Key West for Hemingway — and the only one that moved me was Anne Frank’s empty room in Amsterdam,” he explained. Thus Van Gogh’s simple attic room (no. 5) at the Auberge Ravoux hasn’t been touched since the artist’s death. Empty of furnishings, equipped with a single skylight, the room has a powerful effect on visitors. “People connect to Van Gogh’s suffering,” he said. It’s a soulful place, where the creaking floors and empty walls allows you to conjure Van Gogh’s spirit.

As president of the Institut Van Gogh, Janssens has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of Vincent Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise. His dream? Turning the Auberge Ravoux into a museum, honoring Van Gogh’s wish expressed in a letter to Theo and Jo van Gogh (July 10th, 1890): “One day or another, I believe I will find a way to have an exhibition of my own in a cafe.” He hopes one day that a Van Gogh work — despite the high price, perhaps with the help of a private collector or foundation — could be exhibited in the very last place where the artist lived.

Over the years, a particular emphasis has been on preserving the place from the effects of mass tourism. (Other places of pilgrimage, such as Claude Monet’s house and garden at Giverny, are well aware of the challenges.)

Visitors follow in Van Gogh’s footsteps on a guided visit to the bedroom followed by a film viewing. A highlight is the traditional dining room furnished with authentic decor including charming crockery and the same style of lace curtains that hung in the windows in Van Gogh’s day (the artist always took the corner table for his daily meals). In collaboration with artisanal charcuterie experts Maison Verot, the Auberge offers platters of high-quality charcuterie and cheese alongside a series of starters, such as foie gras and tuna tataki, and a daily plat du jour, like boeuf bourguinon. The wine list includes an organic Cerdon sparkling wine made just for the Auberge Ravoux.

The Auberge Ravoux opened on March 5th for the 2025 season – one that’s particularly meaningful for Janssens, given the anniversary of his accident. For the occasion, he’s published a beautiful coffee-table book pairing Van Gogh paintings with the words of his letters. The title is Van Gogh: Last Paintings, Last Home, Last Dream. As prolific a writer as he was an artist, Van Gogh’s words (in French) are often quite poignant.

DETAILS

Auberge Ravoux, “Maison de Van Gogh”
Place de la Mairie
52-56 rue du Général de Gaulle
95430 Auvers-sur-Oise
Tel: +33 (0)1 30 36 60 60

Restaurant opening hours at the Auberge Ravoux :
March 5 – November 23, 2025
Wednesday-Sunday, from 12 noon to 6pm
Special openings on the Mondays of April 21, June 9 and July 14

Hours for Van Gogh’s room No. 5 :
March 5 – November 23
Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm (last visit at 5:30 pm)
Special openings on the Mondays of April 21, June 9 and July 14