Puurs

Puurs
Municipality

Puurs train station

Flag
Coat of arms
Puurs

Location in Belgium

Coordinates: 51°05′N 04°17′E / 51.083°N 4.283°E / 51.083; 4.283Coordinates: 51°05′N 04°17′E / 51.083°N 4.283°E / 51.083; 4.283
Country Belgium
Community Flemish Community
Region Flemish Region
Province Antwerp
Arrondissement Mechelen
Government
 • Mayor Koen Van den Heuvel (CD&V)
 • Governing party/ies CD&V
Area
 • Total 33.41 km2 (12.90 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)[1]
 • Total 16,999
 • Density 510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Postal codes 2870
Area codes 03, 052
Website www.puurs.be

Puurs (Dutch pronunciation: [pyːrs]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is located in the Flemish Region. The municipality comprises the towns of Breendonk, Liezele, Kalfort, Ruisbroek (old spelling: Ruysbroeck) and Puurs proper. There is also the hamlet of Kalfort. On January 1, 2006, Puurs had a total population of 16,029. The total area is 33.41 km2 (13 sq mi) which gives a population density of 480 inhabitants per km².

Puurs sits about 5 meters above main sea level. Its geography shows only minor elevation differences (so it's basically flat).

Puurs is mainly rural, with some low intensity industry development in the North alongside the N16 motorway. However, because of its proximity to the cities of Antwerp and Brussels (both within a 25 km (16 mi) radius) and its excellent accessibility, Puurs is developing increasingly into a residential town.

History

Signs of habitation dating back to the Iron Age, as well as early Roman and Merovingian times, have been found in Puurs.

Arguably, the Benedictine abbeys of Saint-Cornelimunster of Aachen were the lords of Puurs in the 10th century A.D. In 1278 the municipality was acquired by the Abbey of Sint-Bernard's upon Scheldt, whose property it would remain until the end of the 18th century.

Points of interest

Saint-Peter Church

Puurs' Saint-Peter Church is quite large and is hence sometimes referred to as the region's "cathedral". It was built in the 15th century, on the remains of a roman-style church. The baroque-style bell tower was added in the late 17th century. The classical center piece was completed in 1744.

Asparagus

The lands of Kalfort are widely renowned for producing the most delicious asparagus, and at the beginning of summer a festival is held in honour of this "white gold".

Beer

The internationally sold Duvel beer is brewed in Breendonk, by the Duvel-Moortgat brewery. Each year in August, a 100 km (62 mi) long foot march called the Dodentocht (Death March) passes by the brewery, and participants and spectators can enjoy Duvel beer for free.

Nazi Prison Camp

Fort Breendonk was used by the Nazis as a political prison camp. It is kept in its World War II state and is open for visiting. Fort Breendonk and its twin sister Fort Liezele (which now serves as a municipal recreational area) were initially built by the Belgian military just before World War I, as part of a string of fortresses (the Réduit national) designed to protect the approaches to Antwerp. Since 1976, the site of the fort has been part of the municipality of Willebroek.

Railroad

The Dendermonde-Puurs Steam Railway is a heritage railroad that links up Puurs and Dendermonde. The maintenance road that runs alongside serves as a bicycle track. Bikers can leave the track in Sint-Amands and follow the scenic route up North on the banks of the river Scheldt.

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Puurs is twinned with:

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ Population per municipality as of 1 January 2016 (XLS; 397 KB)
  2. ↑ "Partnerstwo Samorządów Siłą Europy". Europa Miast (in Polish). Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  3. ↑ "Dębica -Miasta Partnerskie" [Dębica - Partnership Cities]. Rząd Miejski w Dębicy - Współpraca - Europa Miast [Dębica town council in cooperation with Europa Miast] (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Puurs.
 Bornem Niel Boom
Sint-Amands Willebroek
   Puurs  
Londerzeel (VBR) Kapelle-op-den-Bos (VBR)
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.