Most bike paths have a similar appearance and straight-forward design. One solar-powered cycling path in the Netherlands, however, is far different.
Most bike paths have a similar appearance and straight-forward design. One in the Netherlands, however, is far different. The route is solar powered, allowing it to glow in the dark.
It’s called the Van Gogh-Roosegaarde Bicycle Path and is the brainchild of Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde. He wanted the path to have a pattern that when illuminated, would bear a resemblance to Vincent van Gogh's painting ‘Starry Night’.
The route runs through the province of North Brabant, which is also a nod to van Gogh, as that’s where the artist spent his childhood.
The path is covered in thousands of small stones that gather sunlight during the day and then use the stored up power to glow at night.
A solar panel is also installed nearby, which helps illuminate the pavement in the evenings. LEDs that are set up along the side of the route provide a little extra light and ensure the path will still be bright in the event of poor or cloudy weather.
The twinkling bike path recently opened to the public. Roosegaarde notes “‘I wanted to create a place that people will experience in a special way, the technical combined with experience, that’s what techno-poetry means to me.”
