History
After the resurrection of The Netherlands in 1813 and during the start of the Industrial Revolution, the city fathers of Eindhoven felt a need to connect the city to the existing waterways. This implied the need for a new canal, due to the distance to the Zuid-Willemsvaart. The Belgian Revolution delayed the construction of this canal, but a permit for a canal was issued in 1843. The permit was for a canal that crossed the Kleine Dommel and the Goorloop, which necessitated the construction of ducts for those streams. In addition to those ducts ten wooden bridges were constructed, high enough to let boats pass underneath. Finally, a winding hole was laid in Tongelre and a sluice was installed at the canal mouth in the Zuid-Willemsvaart. The completed canal was opened for use in 1846.
The main use of the canal was in the transport of heavy goods: machinery for the industry as well as bulk cargoes of charcoal and rough wool, plus wood for the matchmaking and cigarbox factories. Later on a steam connection to Rotterdam was added, with the first steam boat traversing the canal in 1862. This brought new industry to Eindhoven around the harbor, such as the old Eindhoven gas works. This in turn inspired more infrastructure, including a tram bridge near Mierlo (the foundations of which are still visible).
The Eindhoven Canal was widened and modernized between 1929 and 1934. After World War II the internal shipping of the country (including to Eindhoven) temporarily rebounded. But the rise of motorized road transport soon and permanently killed it off again and the canal was closed to commercial shipping in 1974. There were plans for a while to drain the canal and lay a motorway on its bed, but those plans were canceled in the failing economy of the times. The canal is currently a quiet nature area for recreational use and is part of the Ecological Mainline.
Eindhoven is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also located in the Dutch part of the natural region the Campine. With a population of 246,443 on a territory of 88.92 km2, it is the fifth-largest city of the Netherlands and the largest outside the Randstad conurbation.
's-Hertogenbosch, colloquially known as Den Bosch, is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest city by population. The city is south of the Maas river and near the Waal.
The Zuid-Willemsvaart is a canal in the south of the Netherlands and the east of Belgium.
Zuid-Beveland is part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands north of the Western Scheldt and south of the Eastern Scheldt.
The Dommel is a small river in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It is 120 km long, of which 85 km are in the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run, Gender and Kleine Dommel streams and merges at 's-Hertogenbosch with the Aa stream to form the river Dieze, which subsequently flows towards the Meuse. The main cities and towns along the Dommel's course are Peer, Neerpelt, Valkenswaard, Dommelen, Eindhoven, Son en Breugel, Sint-Oedenrode, Boxtel, Sint-Michielsgestel and 's-Hertogenbosch.
Tongelre is a borough of Eindhoven. It used to be a separate village to the east of Eindhoven. Waterways comprise most of its borders. It is bordered to the south by a canal, the "Eindhovensch Kanaal" to the borough of Stratum and Geldrop municipality. In the northwest the border with Woensel borough is formed by the river "Dommel" and to the east by the river "Kleine Dommel" towards Nuenen municipality.
The Aa is a small river in the Netherlands. It rises near Nederweert in the southeastern province of Limburg, in the Peel region. It flows northwest through the province of North Brabant towards 's-Hertogenbosch, roughly along the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. In 's-Hertogenbosch, at the confluence of the Aa and the Dommel, the river Dieze is formed, which flows into the Meuse a few km further. The main cities and towns along the Aa's course are Asten, Helmond, Veghel and 's-Hertogenbosch.
The Juliana Canal, named after Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, is a 36 km (22 mi) long canal in the southern Netherlands, providing a bypass of an unnavigable section of the river Meuse between Maastricht and Maasbracht. It is an important transport connection between the ports of the Rhine delta and the industrial areas of southern Limburg and southern Belgium.
The Dieze is a short river in North Brabant, the Netherlands, tributary of the Meuse. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Aa and Dommel in 's-Hertogenbosch. The part of the Dieze in the centre of 's-Hertogenbosch is called Binnendieze, a partly covered network of canals. The Dieze flows into the Meuse near Hedel.
Binnendieze is the common name for the river and canal system within the city walls of 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. It is a tourist attraction. Near the north-west tip of the city walls, the confluence of the Binnendieze with the rivers Aa and Dommel forms the short river Dieze, tributary of the Meuse.
The Strabrechtse Heide is a natural heathland area about 1500 ha in size, located in the municipalities of Heeze-Leende, Someren and Geldrop-Mierlo, in North Brabant, the Netherlands. It is largely under the care of Staatsbosbeheer. In July 2010, around 200 hectares of the area were damaged or destroyed in a wildfire that took over a week to put out.
The Bocholt–Herentals Canal is a canal in Belgium that links the Zuid-Willemsvaart at Bocholt with the Albert Canal in Herentals, with a length of slightly over 60 kilometres. It is one of the seven canals linking the rivers Meuse and Scheldt.
The Voorne Canal is a former ship canal on Voorne-Putten in South Holland, the Netherlands. It was the first canal to connect Rotterdam to the sea. Construction of the canal started in 1826 and was completed in 1829. Until the completion of the Nieuwe Waterweg in 1872 it was the main connection from Rotterdam to the sea for ocean going ships.
The Máxima Canal dates from 2014 and runs from the Zuid-Willemsvaart near Den Dungen to the Meuse near Gewande.
The Drongelens Canal is a drainage canal that runs from 's-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen in North Brabant. The colloquial Dutch name, and the name used on street signs is Drongelens Kanaal. The official Dutch name is Afwateringskanaal van 's-Hertogenbosch naar Drongelen.
The Dieze Bridge is a bridge for road traffic, which spans the rivers Dieze and Aa, just north of 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The Dieze Railway bridge is somewhat further downstream.
Engelen Lock is a lock with vertical-lift bridge in the Dieze Canal near Engelen, North Brabant, just before the canal exits into the Meuse.
The Kleine Dommel or Rul is a brook in the Campine and Meierij van 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
The Wilhelmina Canal is a canal in North-Brabant, Netherlands. It connects Tilburg to the Meuse, and continues to the east to connect to the Zuid-Willemsvaart north of Helmond.
Wessem-Nederweert Canal is a canal connecting the Zuid-Willemsvaart at Nederweert to the Meuse near Wessem. Here it meets the wide Juliana Canal that connects to Maastricht.
