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 fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

, close to the Lek river.

History

Lopik lies within the

Lopikerwaard The Lopikerwaard is a polder landscape, located in the Dutch province of Utrecht. History Originally an area of swampland, the polder was developed from the eleventh century CE. Many canals were dug in order to drain the land, dividing the la ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

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. 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 ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

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 Paul Theodor van Brussel (1754–1795), was a Dutch flower painter. He was born at Zuid-Polsbroek, near Schoonhoven, in 1754, a scholar of Jean Augustin, and of Hendrik Meyer of Haarlem. He was first employed in the manufacture of tapestry ...

(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 Mineke Schipper (née ''Wilhelmina Janneke Josepha de Leeuw''; born 6 December 1938 in Polsbroek) is a Dutch author of non-fiction and fiction. As a scholar she is best known for her work on comparative literature mythologies and intercultural st ...

(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 (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 (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 O ...

(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
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