The Alblasserwaard () is a polder in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is mainly known for the windmills of Kinderdijk, located near the village of Kinderdijk in the polder's northwestern part.
History
The first human inhabitants of the Alblasserwaard settled there after the last ice age, around 10.000 years ago. The ice had not reached the area itself, but eolian deposits created high points in the wet environment. These high points were places where
settled, as archaeological investigations in the area have shown.
During the Middle Ages, several canals and dikes were created to reclaim the land. The last part was diked in the second half of the 14th century, following the permanent flooding of Woude and Donkersloot.
During World War II, the Rotterdam Blitz also damaged the Alblasserwaard, when both the village center of Alblasserdam and a part of Papendrecht were hit by German bombs.
It was flooded during the North Sea flood of 1953.
Geography and population
The Alblasserwaard is bordered by rivers on all sides. To the north is the
Lek River, to the west runs the Noord and to the south the river
Merwede. On the east side are the
Merwede-Kanaal, the
Linge and the
Oude Zederik, together forming the boundary with
Vijfheerenlanden. The village of Kinderdijk, well known for its windmills, is located at the northwest corner of the Alblasserwaard, where the Noord and the Lek join.
Most of the Alblasserwaard is rural, but, partially under the influence of the cities of Rotterdam and Dordrecht on the borders of the area, the south and west are urbanised.
The largest cities in the Alblasserwaard are Gorinchem, with 35,000 inhabitants, and Papendrecht with slightly over 30,000 people. Both are on the southern borders of the Alblasserwaard.
The municipalities in the Alblasserwaard are:
File:Kinderdijk diverse RM foto3 2014-03-09 10.48.jpg|Kinderdijk, several windmills
File:Tussen Meerkerk en Ameide, sloot in polderlandschap foto6 2016-10-05 14.43.jpg|between Meerkerk and Ameide, ditch in the polder
File:Tussen Ameide en Meerkerk, sloot in polderlandschap foto5 2016-10-05 14.50.jpg|between Ameide and Meerkerk, ditch in the polder
Geology
Extensive parts of the Netherlands are below sea level, and the Alblasserwaard is no different. Most of it has been wrestled from the water through
land reclamation, using the windmills on the Kinderdijk. This process led to the area being full of dikes alongside the rivers. Most of the Alblasserwaard is grassland, where in the spring and summer one will find herds of cows, sheep and goats. The ground consists of clay.
Nature and recreation
While large parts of the Alblasserwaard are owned by farmers, or are populated, some areas are open to the public for recreation.
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The windmills of Kinderdijk are a major tourist attraction.
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In the southwest of the Alblasserwaard is the Alblasserbos, an artificial forest area where deer and foxes live, as well as numerous smaller species.
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Roughly between Streefkerk and Brandwijk is the area Donkse Laagten, which is under the protection of the Dutch government forestry authority Staatsbosbeheer.
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There are three free camping spots in the Alblasserwaard, as part of a project by Staatsbosbeheer to promote legal camping in the wild. These are located respectively in the Alblasserbos, the Donkse Laagten and the Avelingen.
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The Lammetjeswiel is a recreational area within the village of Alblasserdam. It is a popular swimming area, with governmental checks of the water condition twice a month.
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