This is where Vincent Van Gogh painted his masterpiece ‘The Starry Night’

Renowned artist Vincent Van Gogh may have lost an ear and gone borderline crazy during his stay in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, but he painted some of his greatest works here, in the bustling French tourist town near Avignon.

Saint Paul de Mausole is a monastery turned asylum where Van Gogh admitted himself in 1889, a year after cutting off his left ear. Van Gogh painted ‘Sunflowers’, and supposedly his most famous work ‘The Starry Night’ during his stay at this asylum.

Tourists visit to see a reconstruction of the artist’s sparsely decorated room on the first floor and to follow a walking trail that highlights the locations where Van Gogh set up his easel.

Due to the serene environment and the help of the nuns, Van Gogh finished more than 100 drawings and 143 oil paintings in just one year. To this day, Saint Paul de Mausole is a psychiatric home for artists, and their work is sold at a nearby gallery.

Visitors can still see those same limestone hills, vineyards and olive groves from the upstairs windows that inspired Van Gogh to create some of his masterpieces.

This chic town of cobbled streets, cafes and restaurants celebrates Van Gogh’s 444 days in this town in many ways.