USUALLY a visit to a museum of any standing takes place in a city, but not if it's the remarkable Dutch Kröller-Müller Museum. Hidden in the middle of De Hoge Veluwe National Park, near Arnhem, it has an extensive Van Gogh collection. Here, among the trees, you can see one of the most impressive overviews of his work, with masterpieces such as Café Terrace at Nightand The Sower. There are also works by Monet, Seurat, Picasso and other artistic giants.
Adding to the museum’s uniqueness is the fact that many visitors arrive on white bicycles that are available, for free, at entrances to the park. The concept was the brainchild of Dutch social inventor Luud Schimmelpennink, formulated when he was a member of a 1960s Amsterdam-based anarchist group.
The radical idea was adopted by the park in the 1970s and, in more recent times, has spawned city cycle schemes like Vélib’, in Paris, and Dublinbikes.
We pedalled along a cross-country path in the sunshine with dozens of others, passing through woodland and out into an extensive area of ancient sand dunes. After an easy flat 10km we reached the museum and parked our heavy bikes alongside hundreds of identical cycles.
As you approach the museum, created in 1938 to house the private collection of art enthusiast Helene Kröller-Müller, large sculptures draw the eye. This is just the tip of the iceberg: in 1961 the museum’s exceptional setting was enhanced with a sculpture garden, now one of Europe’s largest. Inspiring, amusing, beautiful works by Rodin, Moore, Hepworth and many others add a culturally vibrant outdoor experience to this remarkable place.