Eijsden-Margraten

Eijsden-Margraten (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɛizdəˈmɑrɣraːtə(n)]; (Limburgish: Èèsjde-Mergraote) is a municipality situated in the very south of the Netherlands. There it is located in the southeastern part of the province of Limburg.

Eijsden-Margraten
Municipality
View on Neerbeek
View on Neerbeek
View on Margraten
View on Margraten
Blankenberg Castle at Cadier en Keer
Blankenberg Castle at Cadier en Keer
Gronsveld castle
Gronsveld castle
Flag of Eijsden-Margraten
Flag
Coat of arms of Eijsden-Margraten
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Eijsden-Margraten in a municipal map of Limburg
Location in Limburg
Coordinates: 50°47′N 5°42′E
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceLimburg
Established1 January 2011[1]
Government
[2]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorSjraar Cox
Area
[3]
 • Total78.77 km2 (30.41 sq mi)
 • Land77.55 km2 (29.94 sq mi)
 • Water1.22 km2 (0.47 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
56 m (184 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[5]
 • Total25,900
 • Density334/km2 (870/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
6245–6269, 6307
Area code043
Websitewww.eijsden-margraten.nl

This municipality was formed in 2011 from the former municipalities of Eijsden and Margraten, that both consisted of a number of separately situated villages. As a result, the nowadays Eijsden-Margraten municipality consists of 28 villages and townships, spread out over 15 administrative centres. As of 2011, it has a population of about 25,000.

Eijsden-Margraten is one of the most southerly municipalities in the Netherlands, for in its south it is extending up to the most southerly part of the border between the Netherlands and Belgium.

The Meuse river, coming from France and Belgium, at Eijsden enters its third and final flowing country, the Netherlands. From here on its name in Dutch is "Maas". Running northward to Eijsden-Margraten's west it locally forms the westerly frontier of the last mentioned country with Belgium.

A smaller stream, the Voer, coming from Belgium, drains into the Meuse river in this municipality, after having passed through a few of its villages.

Population centres

Of them Eijsden, Gronsveld, Mariadorp, Mesch, Oost-Maarland and Rijckholt are former parts of the Eijsden municipality, whereas the others are former parts of the Margraten municipality.

Fruit trees near Eijsden Castle
Land pastures on the hilly Margraten Plateau
Part of the Eijsden "Vroenhof" central square

Apart from Mesch all former Eijsden villages are situated in the valley of the Meuse river, whereas Mesch and the former Margraten villages are on a highland called the "Margraten Plateau".

Economy

Main aspects of economical activity in the for a long time agricultural villages of this municipality are:

  • Fruit growing (apples, pears, prunes, cherries, strawberries).
  • Grain growing (wheat, barley, corn)
  • Cattle farming (milk cows, hen's eggs)
  • Some industry (mainly at Eijsden)
  • Tourism

Culture

Essential elements of culture in this municipality's villages are:

  • Music (most places have their own brass-band and church chorus);
  • Religion (predominantly Roman Catholic);
  • Folklore (among others several citizen soldieries);
  • Carnival;
  • Sports, of which especially bicycle racing and soccer are most popular;
  • Art

Sights
  • Castles of Eijsden,[6] Gronsveld,[7] Mheer[8] and Rijckholt[9]
  • An ancient windmill at Bemelen[10] and five ancient water mills on the Voer river.[11]
  • Prehistoric flint mines at Rijckholt[12][13]
  • The Mergellandroute, a tourist route through South Limburg, passes through several places in this municipality.

Notable people
Eugene Dubois

Sport
  • Fons van Wissen (1933 in Margraten – 2015) a Dutch football player with 230 club caps
  • Jo Bonfrère (born 1946 in Eijsden) a Dutch football coach and former midfielder with 335 club caps
  • Jo Maas (born 1954 in Eijsden) a retired Dutch professional road bicycle racer

Miscellaneous
  • In 2013, like in 2009, the brass-band "Koninklijke Harmonie Sainte Cécile)" from Eijsden was the winner in the World Concert Division of the fouryearly World Music Contest, a competition for professional, amateur and military bands, held in Kerkrade.[14][15]
Meuse river entering The Netherlands at Eijsden
Marl of the Bemelerberg (Bemelen mountain) showing
Monumental half-timbered house at Banholt
Gronsveld castle
Blankenberg castle at Cadier en Keer
Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten

References
Topographic map (in Dutch) of Eijsden-Margraten; (readable after three clicks on map)

.

  1. "Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2011" [Municipal divisions on 1 January 2011]. cbs.nl (in Dutch). CBS. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. "College van B&W" [Council of mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Eijsden-Margraten. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  3. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. "Postcodetool for 6245EH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  6. Eijsden castle at WpNl
  7. Gronsveld castle at WpNl
  8. Mheer castle at WpNl
  9. Rijckholt castle at WpNl
  10. Van Tienhovenmolen windmill at WpNl
  11. Image Eijsden watermill on WpCommons
  12. prehistoric flint mine at Rijckholt on WpCommons
  13. Rijckholt prehistoric flint mines on www.flintsource.net
  14. results WMC 2009 on NlWp
  15. "Site of the World Music Contest". Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
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