Schoonhoven

Schoonhoven ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 12,195 as of 2007, and covers an area of 6.96 km² (of which 0.67 km² water). It is the second-smallest municipality in the Netherlands in land area, after Rozenburg. A historic map of Schoonhoven of 1652 shows the north and west town walls, which were common during medieval times in... more

Schoonhoven ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 12,195 as of 2007, and covers an area of 6.96 km² (of which 0.67 km² water). It is the second-smallest municipality in the Netherlands in land area, after Rozenburg. A historic map of Schoonhoven of 1652 shows the north and west town walls, which were common during medieval times in the Netherlands. The only remaining medieval entrance gate of Schoonhoven is the Veerpoort (Ferry Gate) next to the Lek River (see external link 4). This Veerpoort has protected Schoonhoven from the floods of the river Rhine and from the sea during the North Sea flood of 1953 and is still fully functional as a water barrier today. A ferry transporting both vehicles and pedestrians across the Lek River (see external link 5) connects Schoonhoven with Gelkenes in Liesveld. In the grassy fields around the city of Schoonhoven you can see a... less