THE KRÖLLER-MÜLLER MUSEUM

WEBSITE: WWW.KROLLERMULLER.NL
LOCATION: 6731 AW OTTERLO, THE NETHERLANDS
NEAREST AIRPORTS: AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL, ROTTERDAM THE HAGUE, DÜSSELDORF AIRPORT, 1.5HOURS DRIVE

This museum houses the world’s second largest collection of works by Van Gogh and is surrounded by one of Europe’s largest sculpture parks. The park is a magical trail through woods and open grassland where you will happen on sculptures, installations and some remarkable land-art.

The collection was acquired by Helen Kröller-Müller in her lifetime, consisting of 11,500 works of art.  There are two wings (or pavilions), the first opened in 1938 designed by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, and the newer wing, which opened in the 70s designed by Dutch architect Wim Quist.

The absolute joy of Kröller-Müller is the sculpture park which is great to visit in all seasons, the changing colours of the leaves offering a splendid backdrop for the sculptures. There are white, Dutch-style bikes on entry and, if you follow the map, the experience becomes a treasure hunt of Hepworths, Serra, Epsteins, Dubuffets and Fontanas, to name but a few, fun for all ages.

This is a great place to visit with kids and I would recommend dedicating a full day to the visit. The restaurant has excellent cakes should you need to refuel or bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. The audioguides and education material, as well as the bookshop, have been well invested in for those who want to find out more about the collection.