Lopik () is a municipality and a town in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, in the province of

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

, 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 N ...

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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

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 re ...

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 a 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 ...

. These include the

Gerbrandy Tower Gerbrandy is a West Frisian patronymic surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (born Pieter Gerbrandij; 13 April 1885 – 7 September 1961) was a Dutch politician and jurist who se ...

, 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 ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

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 Keolis Nederland is a public transport company operating bus and passenger train services in the Netherlands. Originally created as Syntus and owned by Connexxion, Keolis and Nederlandse Spoorwegen, since 2012 Keolis Nederland has been a 100% subs ...

. 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 Salomon Herman "Sal" Hamburger (11 July 1898 – 14 November 1946), known under his pseudonym Herman de Man, was a Dutch novelist. Life and work Salomon Herman Hamburger was born on 11 July 1898 in Woerden in the Netherlands. De Man, son of b ...

(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 Cornelis Adrianus "Kees" van Ieperen (born 15 January 1956) is a retired shooter from the Netherlands. He competed in Olympic skeet at the 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1 ...

(born 1956 in Lopikerkapel) a retired skeet shooter, competed at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

Ton Strien A.G.J. (Ton) Strien (born 23 March 1958 in Lopik) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). Since 1 September 2007 he has been Mayor of Olst-Wijhe, succeeding Bert Hinnen. He has also been vice president and treasurer of t ...

(born 1958 in Lopik) a Dutch politician *

Tjaarke Maas Tjaarke Hendrika Maria Maas (26 October 1974 – June 2004) was a Dutch painter, whose work came to public attention in the late 1990s. Biography Tjaarke Maas started to paint in her early childhood, in Tasmania, Australia, where her family had ...

(1974 in Lopik – 2004) a Dutch painter, partic. of Russian sacred art *

Peter Schep Pieter Otto ("Peter") Schep (born 8 March 1977 in Lopik, Utrecht) is a Dutch former racing cyclist, who specialized in track cycling endurance events. Biography Born in Lopik, Schep represented the Netherlands at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer ...

(born 1977 in Lopik) a Dutch racing track endurance cyclist *

Kees van Buuren Kees van Buuren (born 27 July 1986) is a retired Dutch footballer who currently played as a right back. Club career Van Buuren is a defender who was born in Lopik and made his debut in professional football, being part of the FC Utrecht squad i ...

(born 1986 in Lopik) a retired Dutch footballer with 230 club caps
Ellen Visee
(born 1980 in Lopik) winner of the Greenberry Pubquiz 2021

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