Alphen aan den Rijn
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| Alphen aan den Rijn | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | South Holland | ||
| Area (2006) | |||
| - Total | 57.68 km² (22.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 55.06 km² (21.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 2.61 km² (1 sq mi) | ||
| Population (1 January 2007) | |||
| - Total | 71,004 | ||
| - Density | 1,290/km² (3,341.1/sq mi) | ||
| Source: CBS, Statline. | |||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Alphen aan den Rijn (population: 70,927 in 2006) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, between Leiden and Utrecht. The town is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality covers an area of 57.68 km² (22.27 mile²) of which 2.61 km² (1.01 mile²) is water. It also contains the remnants of a Roman castellum.
The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen and Zwammerdam. The town is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated center area of the Randstad.
The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman castellum Albanianae, meaning "settlement at the white water".
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[edit] History
The area around Alphen aan den Rijn has been inhabited for 2000 years. In the Roman era, the Oude Rijn was the main branch of the Rhine River and formed the north border of the Roman Empire. Since the rule of Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE), divisions of the Roman army were stationed here. Consequently, several Roman fortifications were located along the Oude Rijn, including castellum Albanianae in the centre of Alphen. The Romans had also built the first bridge over the Oude Rijn. Alphen was therefore an important commercial site in the area until Germanic raids ended that in 240 CE.
After recurring problems with flooding, especially in Utrecht and Leiden, the Oude Rijn was dammed at Wijk bij Duurstede in 1122, thereby making the Lek River the main branch of the Rhine. The Oude Rijn has not flooded since. During the Middle Ages, Alphen was a fiefdom called Alphen en Rietveld.
In the 17th century, Alphen became prominent again as a hub for commerce. The Oude Rijn was used for boat traffic; there are still portions along the river where the towpath is present.
The current municipality was formed in 1918 through the amalgamation of the smaller municipalities of Alphen, Aarlanderveen, and Oudshoorn. In 1964, the municipality of Zwammerdam was added as well.
During the Second World War, the majority of Jews from Alphen were deported and subsequently murdered, only a few survived. After the war, the Jewish congregation was disbanded and merged with the one in Leiden.
Since 1950, the city began to grow rapidly. A large new neighbourhood was built on the north side. And since the 1990s, a similar new development was built at the city's south side. Now Alphen aan den Rijn is mostly a commuter city.
During the past five years, a large part of the town centre has undergone a full urban renewal. Many older buildings built in the 1950s and earlier have been demolished to make place for modern architecture. This "masterplan" includes the addition of a new public square next to the riverbank, the construction of a performing arts theatre/cinema, an upgrade of local shops and the creation of pedestrian streets. As of 2006, all of these projects have been finished.
[edit] Tourism
Alphen aan den Rijn has the following attractions:
- Avifauna Bird Park - the world's first bird park, opened in 1950.
- Archeon - a theme park about Dutch History, with 43 replica buildings from prehistoric, Roman, and Medieval eras. It opened in 1994.
- Zegersloot Recreation Park - park with an artificial lake, popular for hiking, cycling, windsurfing, and water skiing.
[edit] Events
- 20 van Alphen, International 20 kilometers run. Held every year (since 1952) on the 2nd Sunday of March. The 2006 event was marked by a world record when Haile Gebrselassie posted a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 37 seconds for 25k. This was his 22nd world record breaking performance.
- Year market, 3th Wednesday in September. Regional products.
- Old timer day, 2nd Saturday of September. Old cars, tractors, steam engines.
- LAURA, Four days bicycle event Leiden, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Alphen aan den Rijn which is the start and finish place, is held the first week of July.
[edit] Public transportation
Railway Leiden Centraal to Utrecht (line 14), with stations (with municipalities bolded), and official station abbreviations:
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[edit] Notable natives
- J.C. Bloem (1887-1966), poet
- Petrus Wernink (1895-1971), sailor
- Matthijs van Heijningen (born 1944), film producer
- Wouter van Pelt (born 1968), hockey player
- Arjan van Heusden (born 1972), footballer
- Evert-Jan 't Hoen (born 1975), baseball player
- Wilbert Pennings (born 1975), high jumper
- Jeannette Pennings (born 1977), athlete
- John Heitinga (born 1983), footballer
[edit] External links
