Why You Should Journey to Kroller-Muller

It took a very determined, highly convincing friend to sell us on the idea of venturing two hours outside of Amsterdam for a museum. “It’s the best museum I’ve ever been to in my life!” our dear friend promised, adamant we couldn’t miss the opportunity to share in his experience.

The Kröller Muller Museum is located in the Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo, a journey that’s easiest by car; however, also reachable by a combination of train, bus, van, and bike. The museum currently has the second largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, after Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum… much more conveniently located in the middle of the cty… so why you might ask were we making such a journey for the Netherlands’ second best Van Gogh display?

“You’re not going for the museum – it’s the sculpture garden that makes it worth the visit!” assured our friend. “A statue park“? Bryan replied. “No, a sculpture garden” we were told. So we went… if only to see if the experience would live up to all the hype 😉

If you’re car-less in Amsterdam, as you should be (rent a bike!), your journey to Kroller-Muller begins with an hour train ride from Amsterdam Central Station to Ede-Wageningen. From here, you’ll need to take the #108 bus (tickets can be purchased inside the Ede-Wageningen station) to Otterlo – about a 30 minute trip. From the Otterlo Rotonde, you can hop in a small van that takes you to the front entrance of the park. Then it’s a short walk through the woods to the museum, or you can grab any of the available white bikes for a ride, free of charge. The whole process is sure to load you up with souvenir tickets (a favorite of ours when adding real souvenir weight is just not an option)! You’ll end up with 1 train ticket, 1 bus ticket, 1 park entry ticket & 1 museum ticket, with a total cost of around 57 EUR per person.

“This better be good“, proclaimed my reliably skeptical Bry, as we started our walk through the National Park towards the museum, after our train to bus to van transfer. I must admit that even I was concerned that our expectations were set too high. I was WRONG.

There shouldn’t be any surprise when I tell you that this is 100% worth the journey, or I’d be sitting here writing and reminiscing about my time at the Van Gogh museum instead. Yes, I visited the Van Gogh museum. Yes, I’ve been to the Rijksmuseum. YES, I recommend making time for BOTH, but if you have to pick one museum… one day trip… one mind-blowing experience, make the journey to Kröller-Muller. Visit the museum, but spend your time in the sculpture garden – it’s the largest in all of Europe! This is by far the most unique museum experience I’ve ever had, and until someone can prove to me otherwise, I say it’s the most unique museum experience in the world!

The museum ticket provides access to the garden, where you will quickly get lost in a magical world of manicured lawns and lush forested areas, scattered with over 100 modern sculptures. The sculptures are impressive from the start, woven beautifully into the landscape, with surprises around every bend. I was in awe as we continued to explore 60-plus acres of incredible art, but let me highlight a few jaw-dropping experiences!

So.. now that I’ve built this place up in your mind, just as it was in mine, you’ll have to give me your opinion. Does Kroller-Muller live up to all the hype? Is it worth the trip? Is it not the most unique museum experience in the world?!?!