Lopik () is a municipality and a town in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, in the province of

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

, close to the

Lek river The Lek () is a river in the western Netherlands of some in length. It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River. The ...

History

Lopik lies within the Lopikerwaard region, which used to be occupied by swamps and forests until the area was cultivated in the eleventh century. Lopik was first mentioned as "Lobeke" in 1155 CE. Most of the population settled along the canals that were used for transport and drainage (and which are still used for the latter purpose). It was not until after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

that villages in the area were expanded beyond the original ribbons of buildings, and Lopik remains a well-known example of a

linear settlement A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical r ...

within the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, "Lopik" is often used as a reference to the broadcasting facilities located in the eastern part of the municipality and in neighbouring

IJsselstein IJsselstein () is a municipality and city in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. IJsselstein received city rights in 1331. IJsselstein owes its name to the river Hollandse IJssel which flows through the city. It is a major commuting su ...

. These include the Gerbrandy Tower, a structure that is the tallest structure in the Netherlands, and the world's largest Christmas tree during the period around Christmas.

Geography

The entire municipality lies within the Dutch Green Heart and has a rural character. The two main access roads are the N210 and N204 provincial roads, which connect the area with major cities that include

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

and

. The river Lek lies behind a high dike, which is visible from most of the south of the Lopik municipality. In the end of the eighties and early nineties the dike was strengthened and extra height was added in preparation for increasingly high water levels. Ambitious planning for continued improvement to the dikes continues.

Population centres

The municipality of Lopik consists of the following towns, villages and/or districts:

Topography

''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Lopik, June 2015''

Transport

Public transport in the region primarily consists of bus connections, which are mainly carried out by Syntus. The nearest railway stations are in Gouda and

Woerden Woerden () is a city and a municipality in central Netherlands. Due to its central location between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, and the fact that it has rail and road connections to those cities, it is a popular town for commu ...

Notable residents

* Paul Theodor van Brussel (1754 in Zuid-Polsbroek – 1795) a Dutch flower painter * Herman de Man (1898–1946) a Dutch novelist, grew up in Lopikerwaard * Mineke Schipper (born 1938 in Polsbroek) a Dutch author of non-fiction and fiction and scholar * Kees van Ieperen (born 1956 in Lopikerkapel) a retired skeet shooter, competed at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

* Ton Strien (born 1958 in Lopik) a Dutch politician * Tjaarke Maas (1974 in Lopik – 2004) a Dutch painter, partic. of Russian sacred art * Peter Schep (born 1977 in Lopik) a Dutch racing track endurance cyclist * Kees van Buuren (born 1986 in Lopik) a retired Dutch footballer with 230 club caps

Gallery

File:Lopik op zijn mooist op een late herfstdag in November.jpg, Lopik in November File:Echt een plaatje uit de Lopikerwaard.jpg, Lopikerwaard File:Lopik watertoren.JPG, Lopik water tower File:3411 Lopik, Netherlands - panoramio (2).jpg, Lopik - panorama

References

External links

Official website
Municipalities of Utrecht (province) Populated places in Utrecht (province) {{Utrecht-geo-stub