Niel () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

located in the Belgian province of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. The municipality only comprises the town of Niel proper. In 2021, Niel had a total population of 10,493. The total area is 5.27 km².

History

Niel used to belong to the Lordship of Mechelen. In 1462, it became part of the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant, a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire, was established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant of 1085–1183, and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries. The Duchy comprised part of the Bu ...

. Niel became an independent parish in the 14th century. During most of its history, it was an agricultural community along the

Rupel The Rupel () is a tidal river in northern Belgium, right tributary of the Scheldt. It is about long. It flows through the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Dijle and Nete, in Rumst. It flows into the Sch ...

river. In the 19th century, Niel became an industrial town with brickworks, cement factories and shoe factories.

Sports

Niel is home to the Niel Jaarmarkt Cyclo-cross, a

cyclo-cross Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...

race held in and around the town. The race forms part of the

X²O Badkamers Trophy The Cyclo-cross Trophy (), also known as X²O Badkamers Trophy (), is a Belgian cyclo-cross racing series currently sponsored by X²O Badkamers (X²O Bathrooms). It is one of the three major season-long competitions in Cyclo-cross, the other two ...

Notable people

* Jan Decleir, actor, leading actor in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winner Karakter was born in Niel.

Gallery

File:Gemeentehuis Niel.jpg, Town hall File:Boomsestraat 2, Niel.jpg , House in Niel File:Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk, Niel vanaf Dorpstraat.jpg, Our Lady Church in Niel File:Rijksmonument Sint-Jozef Kerk Hellegat Niel 1.JPEG, St Josef Church in Hellegat

References

External links

* *
Official website
Municipalities of Antwerp Province Populated places in Antwerp Province {{Antwerp-geo-stub