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Lopik
Lopik
Municipality
	Canal through Polsbroek
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location in Utrecht
	Coordinates: 51°58′N 4°57′E / 51.967°N 4.950°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Utrecht
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Laurens de Graaf (CDA)
Area
• Total	78.98 km2 (30.49 sq mi)
• Land	75.57 km2 (29.18 sq mi)
• Water	3.41 km2 (1.32 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (January 2021)
• Total	14,456
• Density	191/km2 (490/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	3405–3415
Area code	0182, 030, 0348
Website	www.lopik.nl

Lopik (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈloːpɪk] ^ⓘ) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht, close to the Lek river.

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 that villages in the area were expanded beyond the original ribbons of buildings, and Lopik remains a well-known example of a linear settlement 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 and Utrecht. 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.^[5]^[6]

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.

Notable residents

Paul Theodor van Brussel (1754 in Zuid-Polsbroek – 1795) a Dutch flower painter
Herman de Man (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 (born 1956 in Lopikerkapel) a retired skeet shooter, competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Ton Strien (born 1958 in Lopik) a Dutch politician
Tjaarke Maas (1974 in Lopik – 2004) a Dutch painter, partic. of Russian sacred art
Peter Schep (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

Gallery

Lopik in November
Lopikerwaard
Lopik water tower
Lopik - panorama

References

^ "Burgemeester en Wethouders" [Mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Lopik. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
^ "Postcodetool for 3411CH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
^ Utrecht, Provincie. "Waterveiligheid". Provincie Utrecht (in Dutch). Retrieved 2019-10-14.
^ Rijnlanden, Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse. "Sterke Lekdijk". HDSR (in Dutch). Retrieved 2019-10-14.