Vijlen
Encyclopedia
Vijlen is a village
in the South-East part of the Dutch
province
Limburg
. The village is constituted of a number of hamlet
s, among which Mamelis, Camerig, Harles and Cottessen. Including these hamlets, Vijlen has around 1500 inhabitants (in 2005) and is part of the municipality
of Vaals
. Located at 200 meters above Normaal Amsterdams Peil
, on top of the Vijlenerberg (Vijlener hill), it is the highest situated town in the Netherlands
. The neo-gothic and Catholic
St. Martinus church, which is located in the center of the village, is known as the highest located church in the country.
The area around the village is well-known for its natural beauty and remarkable landscape
s. The 'Mergelland Route', a very popular touristic route through the South-Limburg area, leads through the village and its surroundings. With ample lodging and camping facilities available, tourism
related business is a rather substantial source of income for the village.
The origin of the village is most likely Roman
. The name Vijlen is generally believed to be derived from the Roman word 'villa' or 'villare' (farm estate or 'belonging to a farm estate'). Remains of a Roman villa
have been found close to the village. The earliest known documentation
on the village originates from 1016. Documentation of a gift to the abbey
of Aachen-Burtscheidt in that year mentions property in Villiam (Uilliam).
In the adjoining forest, the 'Vijlener bos', evidence of much earlier human activity in the area has been found. Communal graves
from the Linear Pottery culture
have been recovered, and indicate human settlements in the area around 5000 years ago.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the South-East part of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. The village is constituted of a number of hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
s, among which Mamelis, Camerig, Harles and Cottessen. Including these hamlets, Vijlen has around 1500 inhabitants (in 2005) and is part of the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Vaals
Vaals
Vaals is a town in the extreme southeastern part of the Dutch province of Limburg, which in its turn finds itself in the southeastern part of the Netherlands....
. Located at 200 meters above Normaal Amsterdams Peil
Normaal Amsterdams Peil
Normaal Amsterdams Peil or Amsterdam Ordnance Datum is a vertical datum in use in large parts of Western Europe. Originally created for use in the Netherlands, it was adopted by Prussia in 1879 under the name Normalnull, and in 1955 by other European countries.Mayor Johannes Hudde of Amsterdam in...
, on top of the Vijlenerberg (Vijlener hill), it is the highest situated town in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The neo-gothic and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
St. Martinus church, which is located in the center of the village, is known as the highest located church in the country.
The area around the village is well-known for its natural beauty and remarkable landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s. The 'Mergelland Route', a very popular touristic route through the South-Limburg area, leads through the village and its surroundings. With ample lodging and camping facilities available, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
related business is a rather substantial source of income for the village.
The origin of the village is most likely Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. The name Vijlen is generally believed to be derived from the Roman word 'villa' or 'villare' (farm estate or 'belonging to a farm estate'). Remains of a Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
have been found close to the village. The earliest known documentation
Historical document
Historical documents are documents that contain important information about a person, place, or event.Most famous historical documents are either laws, accounts of battles , or the exploits of the powerful...
on the village originates from 1016. Documentation of a gift to the abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Aachen-Burtscheidt in that year mentions property in Villiam (Uilliam).
In the adjoining forest, the 'Vijlener bos', evidence of much earlier human activity in the area has been found. Communal graves
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
from the Linear Pottery culture
Linear Pottery culture
The Linear Pottery culture is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic, flourishing ca. 5500–4500 BC.It is abbreviated as LBK , is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Incised Ware culture, and falls within the Danubian I culture of V...
have been recovered, and indicate human settlements in the area around 5000 years ago.
External links
- http://www.vijlen.net (in Dutch)