Eijsden-Margraten

Eijsden-Margraten
Municipality

Flag
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Eijsden-Margraten in a municipal map of Limburg
Location in Limburg
Coordinates: 50°47′N 5°42′E / 50.783°N 5.700°E / 50.783; 5.700Coordinates: 50°47′N 5°42′E / 50.783°N 5.700°E / 50.783; 5.700
Country  Netherlands
Province  Limburg
Established 1 January 2011[1]
Government[2]
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Dieudonné Akkermans (CDA)
Area[3]
 • Total 78.32 km2 (30.24 sq mi)
 • Land 77.40 km2 (29.88 sq mi)
 • Water 0.92 km2 (0.36 sq mi)
Elevation[4] 56 m (184 ft)
Population (August 2017)[5]
 • Total 25,517
 • Density 330/km2 (900/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode 6245–6269, 6307
Area code 043
Website www.eijsden-margraten.nl

Eijsden-Margraten ( pronunciation )( pronunciation ) (Limburgish: Èèsjde-Mergraote) is a municipality situated in the very south of the Netherlands. There it is located in the southeastern part of the province of Limburg.

This municipality was formed in 2011 from the former municipalities of Eijsden and Margraten, that both consisted of a number of separately situated villages. As a result, the nowadays Eijsden-Margraten municipality consists of 28 villages and townships, spread out over 15 administrative centres. As of 2011, it has a population of about 25,000.

Eijsden-Margraten is one of the most southerly municipalities in the Netherlands, for in its south it is extending up to the most southerly part of the border between the Netherlands and Belgium.

The Meuse river, coming from France and Belgium, at Eijsden enters its third and final flowing country, the Netherlands. From here on its name in Dutch is "Maas". Running northward to Eijsden-Margraten's west it locally forms the westerly frontier of the last mentioned country with Belgium.

A smaller stream, the Voer, coming from Belgium, drains into the Meuse river in this municipality, after having passed through a few of its villages.

Population centres

Of them Eijsden, Gronsveld, Mariadorp, Mesch, Oost-Maarland and Rijckholt are former parts of the Eijsden municipality, whereas the others are former parts of the Margraten municipality.

Fruit trees near Eijsden Castle
Land pastures on the hilly Margraten Plateau
Part of the Eijsden "Vroenhof" central square

Apart from Mesch all former Eijsden villages are situated in the valley of the Meuse river, whereas Mesch and the former Margraten villages are on a highland called the "Margraten Plateau".

Economy

Main aspects of economical activity in the for a long time agricultural villages of this municipality are:

  • Fruit growing (apples, pears, prunes, cherries, strawberries).
  • Grain growing (wheat, barley, corn)
  • Cattle farming (milk cows, hen's eggs)
  • Some industry (mainly at Eijsden)
  • Tourism

Culture

Essential elements of culture in this municipality's villages are:

  • Music (most places have their own brass-band and church chorus);
  • Religion (predominantly Roman Catholic);
  • Folklore (among others several citizen soldieries);
  • Carnival;
  • Sports, of which especially bicycle racing and soccer are most popular;
  • Art

Sights

  • Castles of Eijsden,[6] Gronsveld,[7] Mheer[8] and Rijckholt[9]
  • An ancient windmill at Bemelen[10] and five ancient water mills on the Voer river.[11]
  • Prehistoric flint mines at Rijckholt[12][13]
  • The Mergellandroute, a tourist route through South Limburg, passes through several places in this municipality.

Persons

  • Jean Bessems (Cadier en Keer), biljards; worldchampion artistic in 1985 and 1988.
  • Eugene Dubois (1858–1940), (Eijsden), anthropology.
  • Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987), (Noorbeek), politics
  • Jo Maas, (Eijsden), cyclism
  • Fons van Wissen, (Margraten), soccer (30 caps)

Miscellaneous

  • In 2013, like in 2009, the brass-band "Koninklijke Harmonie Sainte Cécile)" from Eijsden was the winner in the World Concert Division of the fouryearly World Music Contest, a competition for professional, amateur and military bands, held in Kerkrade.[14][15]
Meuse river entering The Netherlands at Eijsden
Marl of the Bemelerberg (Bemelen mountain) showing
Monumental half-timbered house at Banholt
Gronsveld castle
Blankenberg castle at Cadier en Keer
Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten

References

Topographic map (in Dutch) of Eijsden-Margraten; (readable after three clicks on map)

.

  1. ↑ "Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2011" [Municipal divisions on 1 January 2011]. cbs.nl (in Dutch). CBS. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "College van B&W" [Council of mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Eijsden-Margraten. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Postcodetool for 6245EH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Eijsden castle at WpNl
  7. ↑ Gronsveld castle at WpNl
  8. ↑ Mheer castle at WpNl
  9. ↑ Rijckholt castle at WpNl
  10. ↑ Van Tienhovenmolen windmill at WpNl
  11. ↑ Image Eijsden watermill on WpCommons
  12. ↑ prehistoric flint mine at Rijckholt on WpCommons
  13. ↑ Rijckholt prehistoric flint mines on www.flintsource.net
  14. ↑ results WMC 2009 on NlWp
  15. ↑ Site of the World Music Contest
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