Auvers-sur-Oise

The tranquil Oise River valley, which runs northeast from Pontoise, retains much of the charm that attracted Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Berthe Morisot to Auvers-sur-Oise in the second half of the 19th century. Despite this lofty company, it's the spirit of Vincent van Gogh that haunts every nook and cranny of this pretty riverside village, for while the great painter created many masterpieces here he also decided to end his life in a wheat field just outside the town. Today, thousands make a pilgrimage here to walk in his footsteps and pay their respects at his grave.