Learn and talk about Puurs, Municipalities of Antwerp (province)

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Puurs

— Municipality of Belgium —

Flag

Coat of arms

Puurs

Location in Belgium

Coordinates: 51°05′N 04°17′E / 51.083°N 4.283°ECoordinates: 51°05′N 04°17′E / 51.083°N 4.283°E

Country

Belgium

Government

• Mayor

Koen Van den Heuvel (CD&V/N-VA)

• Governing party/ies

CD&V/N-VA

Area

• Total

33.41 km² (12.90 sq mi)

Population (1 January 2011)^[1]

• Total

16,600

• Density

500/km² (1,300/sq mi)

Postal codes

2870

Area codes

03, 052

Website

www.puurs.be

Map of Puurs

Puurs (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpyːrs]) 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 radius) and its excellent accessibility, Puurs is developing increasingly into a residential town.

1 History
2 Points of interest
3 International relations
- 3.1 Twin towns - sister cities
4 Notable people
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

History [edit]

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 [edit]

Saint-Peter Church [edit]

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 [edit]

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 [edit]

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

Nazi Prison Camp [edit]

Fort Breendonk was used by the Nazis as a political prison camp. It is kept in its WWII 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 WWI, 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 [edit]

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.