Auvers-sur-Oise: Van Gogh’s Last 70 Days, One Train from Paris

Vincent van Gogh arrived in Auvers-sur-Oise on May 20, 1890 and died there 70 days later, on July 29. In between he painted more than 80 works, better than one a day: the church, the town hall, the wheatfields, the portraits of Dr. Gachet. The village, 30 km northwest of Paris, has changed less than any other place he lived, and almost everything he painted still stands where he painted it. This is the day trip for anyone who has stood in front of a Van Gogh in the Musée d’Orsay and wanted to walk into it.

The Room at the Auberge Ravoux

Van Gogh rented Room No. 5 under the roof of the Auberge Ravoux for 3.50 francs a day, and it is the only one of his 38 lodgings preserved as it was. The visit runs in guided groups of 20 and takes about 30 minutes, ending with an audiovisual telling of his Auvers weeks in the inn’s attic. In 2026 the house opens from March 4 to November 22, Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 am to 12:15 pm and 1:15 pm to 6:30 pm, with last visits at 11:45 am and 6:00 pm; details and exceptional openings are on maisondevangogh.fr. The inn’s dining room still serves lunch Wednesday through Sunday at the kind of tables Van Gogh ate at, and it books out on fine weekends.

The Church, the Wheatfields, and the Graves

The walk from the Auberge climbs past the church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, the one he painted in June 1890; the canvas hangs in the Orsay, and the building stands unchanged behind its little lawn. Past the church, the lane rises into the open wheatfields where he set up for Wheatfield with Crows, and at the top, against the cemetery’s far wall, Vincent and Theo lie side by side under two plain slabs of ivy. The whole loop from the inn takes under an hour at a slow pace, and reproductions of the paintings stand at the spots where he worked, so you can hold each canvas against its landscape.

The Rest of the Village

Auvers was an artists’ town before Van Gogh stepped off the train: Daubigny built a studio here, and Pissarro and Cézanne both painted the village under Dr. Gachet’s wing. The Maison du Docteur Gachet, the Daubigny studio-house, the Musée de l’Absinthe, and the Château d’Auvers with its immersive impressionism circuit fill out a full day if the Van Gogh core takes your morning. For the other half of the impressionist pilgrimage, Giverny and Monet’s garden make an entirely separate day trip west of Paris.

Getting There: the Weekend Direct Train

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from April to October, a direct train leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 9:38 am and reaches Auvers at 10:22, with the return at 6:15 pm arriving 6:50; in 2026 it skips the July 11, 12, and 14 dates for track work. Those two trains bracket a perfect day, and the station stands five minutes from the Auberge. Any other day, ride from Gare du Nord with one change at Pontoise or Valmondois, about an hour door to door, trains roughly hourly, all of it covered by a Navigo pass. Remember the pairing rule before you book: the Auberge closes Mondays and Tuesdays, so a weekend or a Wednesday-to-Friday visit gets you the room. The full ranking of options sits in the top 30 day trips from Paris.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit Van Gogh’s room in Auvers-sur-Oise?
Yes. Room No. 5 at the Auberge Ravoux opens March 4 to November 22 in 2026, Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 am to 12:15 pm and 1:15 pm to 6:30 pm, visited in guided groups of about 20 over roughly 30 minutes.

How do you get to Auvers-sur-Oise from Paris?
On weekends and holidays from April to October, a direct train leaves Gare du Nord at 9:38 am, returning from Auvers at 6:15 pm. Other days, change once at Pontoise or Valmondois; about an hour total, covered by Navigo.

Where are Van Gogh and Theo buried?
In the village cemetery above the church, against the far wall, beneath two matching ivy-covered slabs. The walk up from the Auberge Ravoux passes the church he painted and the wheatfields of his last canvases.

How long did Van Gogh live in Auvers?
70 days, from May 20 to July 29, 1890, during which he painted more than 80 works, including The Church at Auvers and Wheatfield with Crows.

Is Auvers-sur-Oise worth it if you are not a Van Gogh fan?
It is a pretty riverside village with a château, artists’ houses, and quiet lanes, but its pull is the Van Gogh story. If the paintings mean little to you, other day trips give more per hour.