Middelharnis
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Middelharnis (population: 17,450 in 2004) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 86.79 km² (of which 25.63 km² water).
The municipality of Middelharnis also includes the following towns, villages and townships (links to additional info bolded): Nieuwe-Tonge, Sommelsdijk, Stad aan 't Haringvliet.
Forming the center of the island, this municipality is the biggest of the four with over 17,000 inhabitants. Sommelsdijk, Middelharnis, Nieuwe Tonge and Stad aan 't Haringvliet are the towns that form this municipality. Sommelsdijk and Middelharnis are quite special, because they form a 'twin town' something not seen very often. The both sort of form a heart with each town being a chamber in the heart. Middelharnis has lots supermarkets and a big shopping area D'n Diek. This shopping centre settled itself on a dyke which used to be the last barrier for the towns from the Haringvliet. Now extensive building has started north of this dyke and the area is having a huge facelift. Fridaynights is considered the shoppingnight of the week and shops stay open till 9 PM. On Fridays in the summermonths are what is called the Diekdagen (Diekdays in Dutch). These days there are special activities like sportscar racing and bicycle racing in the middle of the town. The town hosts most of the highschools on the island. With a large public and Christian school. Middelharnis has an inland harbor with connection to the Haringvliet. At the entrance of the harbor a new vacationresort has been established called 'Nieuw Zeeland'. There is also a small beach which can get very crowded in the summertime. The old mainstreet in both towns are very pretty. Starting at the church and ending at the harbor both towns, they are very identical. In Middelharnis the old mainstreet has the old municpalbuilding. Now this building is the Rien Poortvliet Museum. Both towns have the in the centre the church and the rest of the town sort of vanes out from this center. In Sommelsdijk a big sportscomplex with swimmingpool is present called De Staver. Stad aan 't Haringvliet is the second town with city rights and has a small harbor with beach. Like most of the towns on the island the old windmill has been preserved. Nieuwe Tonge's main entry roads are the two dykes that form the edges of the town.
On the painting The Avenue at Middelharnis of the Dutch painter Meindert Hobbema you can see the village Middelharnis. This painting you will find at the National Gallery in London.
[edit] External link
- MapQuest map of Middelharnis
- Maps of South Holland
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