Altena, North Brabant

Altena is a municipality in the Netherlands, on a river island in the very north of the province of North Brabant, bordering the provinces of Gelderland and South Holland. Nearby cities are Dordrecht in the west, Gorinchem in the north (both in South Holland), and Waalwijk in the south.

This article is about the municipality of Altena in the Netherlands. For other meanings, see Altena (disambiguation).
Altena
Municipality
Snowy view at Altena near the Boven Merwede
Coat of arms
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°46′N 4°58′E
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceNorth Brabant
Established1 January 2019
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorEgbert Lichtenberg (CDA)
Area
 • Total226.64 km2 (87.51 sq mi)
 • Land200.63 km2 (77.46 sq mi)
 • Water26.02 km2 (10.05 sq mi)
Population
 (July 2019)[3]
 • Total55,718
 • Density250/km2 (640/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Websitegemeentealtena.nl
Rural area near Dussen
View at the harbour of Woudrichem
Entrance old Woudrichem
The inner city of Woudrichem
Dutch Reformed church of Saint Martin in Woudrichem
Fort Giessen near Giessen
De Biesbosch National Park
Northern Merwede Bridge, which connects Gorinchem with Altena
Southern Keizersveer Bridge, which connects Geertruidenberg with Altena
Dussen castle
View at Veen at the Afgedamde Maas
View at Nieuwendijk
Windmills in the vicinity of Almkerk
Peninsula Anna Jacominaplaat forms the utmost western edge of Altena

Approximately 56,000 people are living on a surface of about 201 km², making Altena the largest municipality of North Brabant in terms of land area (caught up with Meierijstad).

Geography

The municipality was formed on 1 January 2019, by the merger of the municipalities of Aalburg, Werkendam, and Woudrichem.[4] Aalburg was only a municipality, Werkendam and Woudrichem are also population centres. Werkendam is the largest town, and the small city of Woudrichem the historical centre of Altena. The village of Almkerk serves as the municipal seat and lies in the middle of the municipality.

Altena can be characterized as a rural community with population centres mainly concentrated along the surrounding waterways. These waterways are (clockwise, starting in the west): Nieuwe Merwede, Boven Merwede, Afgedamde Maas, Heusdensch Kanaal, Bergsche Maas, and Amer.

De Biesbosch National Park is partially situated in the western part of Altena.

The municipality of Altena is to a large extent identical to the region of the Land van Heusden en Altena. Only De Biesbosch area, existing of the aforementioned De Biesbosch National Park and polders above, falls outside. Waterway Steurgat largely forms the boundary.

Population centres

The municipality of Altena officially has 1 city, 18 villages, and 27 hamlets.[5] However, many villages have the size of a hamlet, and Werkendam and Woudrichem are to be considered a town in size, the latter one also has city rights.

City
Villages
Hamlets
  • (De) Baan
  • Biesheuvel
  • Bronkhorst
  • Buurtje
  • Duizend Morgen
  • Eng
  • Hagoort
  • Hill
  • (De) Hoef
  • Hoekeinde
  • Keizersveer [6]
  • Kerkeinde
  • Kievitswaard
  • Kille
  • Korn
  • Moleneind
  • Oudendijk
  • Peerenboom
  • Schans
  • Spijk
  • Stenenheul
  • Steurgat
  • Uppel
  • Vierbannen
  • Vijcie
  • 't Zand
  • Zandwijk

Topography

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Altena, 2020

Transport

Altena is accessible by bridges and ferries. Important bridges are the northern Merwede Bridge and the southern Keizersveer Bridge. Both bridges are part of motorway A27, which crosses the municipality from north to south.

A car ferry in the very western part connects the city of Dordrecht with Altena.

Nearest railway station is Gorinchem railway station in the municipality of Gorinchem, above Altena on the other side of the Boven Merwede river.

History and religion

Altena is the southernmost part of the Dutch Water Line, an obsolete defensive line, which contains several fortresses in this municipality like Fort Steurgat, Fort aan de Uppelse Dijk, and Fort Giessen, and with Woudrichem as a fortified city.

Contrary to most other North Brabant municipalities, Protestantism is dominant in the Altena municipality, especially the Calvinist branch. Church attendance is high, and Christian oriented political parties receive many votes.

Politics

The municipal council consists of:

PartySeats
in 2019
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) 8
Altena Lokaal 6
Reformed Political Party (SGP) 5
ChristianUnion (CU) [7] 4
Progressief Altena 4
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) 3
BURGERSTEM Altena 1
Total 31

The municipal executive consists of CDA, Altena Lokaal, SGP, and Progressief Lokaal. Mayor has been CDA politician Egbert Lichtenberg (since 9 December 2019).

Sports

Several football clubs have their home base in the municipality:

Each year the 7-Dorpenomloop Aalburg, a prestigious women's road bicycle race, is being held in the southeast corner of Altena (the area of the former municipality of Aalburg, hence the name).

Notable people

References
  1. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. AlleCijfers.nl
  3. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  4. "Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2019". CBS (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. Altena, Plaatsengids.nl
  6. Keizersveer is partially situated in the municipality of Geertruidenberg.
  7. Carola Schouten's younger sister Marjan van der Meij-Schouten is a member of the municipal council, like her older sister on behalf of the ChristianUnion.


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