Olmen | |
---|---|
Village | |
![]() Saint Willibrord Church | |
Coordinates: 51°08′28″N5°09′03″E / 51.14119°N 5.15079°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Flemish Region |
Province | Antwerp |
Municipality | Balen |
Area | |
• Total | 17.03 km2 (6.58 sq mi) |
Population (2021) [1] | |
• Total | 3,788 |
• Density | 220/km2 (580/sq mi) |
Time zone | CET |
Olmen is a village in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. The village is part of the municipality of Balen.
Olmen is known in the area for its Carnival, which still follows medieval traditions.
The village was first mentioned as Olmele in 1288. Olmen was an independent heerlijkheid and an agricultural community. In 1977, the municipality was merged into Balen. [2]
The Carnaval in Olmen does not have a parade, but is celebrated with the medieval Hanenkappen. The person who manages to decapitate the rooster becomes the king of its party. [3]
The Pakawi Park is a zoo in the village which specializes in felidae. The zoo used to be called Olmen Zoo, but was closed in 2017, due to animal welfare breaches. The owner and employees fixed most of the problems and at least tripled the living quarters of the animals. The zoo reopened on 22 June 2019 as Pakawi Park. [4]
North Brabant, also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the west, and the Flemish provinces of Antwerp and Limburg to the south. The northern border follows the Meuse westward to its mouth in the Hollands Diep strait, part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. North Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023. Major cities in North Brabant are Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, its provincial capital 's-Hertogenbosch, and Helmond
Arnhem is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of the rivers Nederrijn and Sint-Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development.
Mierlo is a village in the southern Netherlands, in the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo, North Brabant. Until 2004, it was a separate municipality with an area of 18.09 km2 (7 sq mi).
Hove is a municipality (gemeente) located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Hove proper. In 2021, Hove had a total population of 8,287. The total area is 5.99 km2.
Balen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Balen proper and Olmen. In 2021, Balen had a population of 22,853. Total area is 72.88 km2.
Dilbeek is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek proper, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek, Schepdaal, Sint-Martens-Bodegem, and Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle. Dilbeek is located just outside the Brussels-Capital Region in the Pajottenland, hence the local name Poort van het Pajottenland.
Heusden was a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. In 1977 it merged with the municipality of Destelbergen, of which it is now part.
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Everbeek is a village situated in the Flemish Ardennes and in the Denderstreek in Belgium. In 1977, it was included into the municipality of Brakel. Although it is Dutch speaking, this village was part of the Walloon province of Hainaut (Henegouwen) until 1963, when it became part of the Flemish province of East Flanders.
The Campine or De Kempen is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large northern and eastern portion of Antwerp Province and adjacent parts of Limburg in Belgium, as well as portions of the Dutch province of North Brabant and Dutch Limburg around Weert.
Doel is a subdivision of the municipality of Beveren in the Flemish province of East Flanders in Belgium. It is located near the river the Scheldt, in a polder of the Waasland. Since 1965, there have been plans to extend the Port of Antwerp into Doel and demolish the village. However, protests have caused a stalemate. On 30 March 2022, a deal was reached and the village is allowed to exist.
Eigenbilzen is a village and former municipality in the Bilzen municipality of the Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. Eigenbilzen was an independent municipality until 1977 when it merged into Bilzen.
Heindonk is a Belgian village in the municipality of Willebroek in the province of Antwerp in Belgium. It is situated northwest of the city of Mechelen.
Watervliet is a village in the Belgian province of East Flanders and suburb of the town of Sint-Laureins. Watervliet is part of the Meetjesland, and is adjacent to the Dutch border. It was a separate municipality until 1977.
Rutten is a village in the Tongeren municipality of the Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. The village is located in the Haspengouw region, and was a separate municipality until its merger into Tongeren in 1977.
Pakawi Park is a zoo in the Belgian village Olmen, which is part of the town of Balen. Until 22 June 2019 it was named "Olmense Zoo".
Carnival in the Netherlands is a festival held mainly in the Southern and Eastern regions of the Netherlands with an emphasis on role-reversal and the suspension of social norms, as part of celebrations of Carnival. The feast was assimilated by the Catholic Church, taking elements from ancient pagan spring festivals and is celebrated in the three days preceding the Christian holidays of Ash Wednesday and Lent.
The Limburg Zoo, also known as Zwartberg Zoo, was a zoo in the Belgian parish of Zwartberg in the municipality of Genk. The zoo was private property of the Wouters family and did not receive any subsidy or sponsorship. The zoo was known for its large number of animals, which resulted from the internal breeding programme and the acquisition of abused and dumped animals from bankrupt zoos and circuses. The large number of animals, the poor state of the animal enclosures, and actions by animal rights organisations drew media attention to the zoo. In 1997 the Wouters family decided to close it; the animals were relocated to other zoos.
The Carnival of Aalst is an annual three-day event in Aalst, East Flanders, Belgium. The carnival is celebrated in the days preceding Ash Wednesday. It is mainly a street happening; the celebrants dance on the town squares and visit café after café.
Viane is a village in the Geraardsbergen municipality of the East Flanders province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. The village is situated in the Denderstreek in the south east of the province, on the border with Flemish Brabant and Hainaut. The river Mark separates the village from the rest of Geraardsbergen.