Middelharnis

Middelharnis (population: 17,450 in 2004) is a municipality and a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 86.79 km² (of which 25.63 km² water).

The municipality consists of the following population centres:

Battenoord
Middelharnis (6,200 inh.)
Nieuwe-Tonge (2,800 inh.)
Sommelsdijk (7,400 inh.)
Stad aan 't Haringvliet (1.400 inh.)

On 1 January 1966, the municipalities of Nieuwe-Tonge, Sommelsdijk, and Stad aan 't Haringvliet were added to Middelharnis.

Sommelsdijk and Middelharnis are quite special, because they form a 'twin village' something not seen very often. They both sort of form a heart with each town being a chamber in the heart. Middelharnis has a shopping area called D'n Diek. This shopping center settled itself on a dike which used to be the last barrier for the towns from the Haringvliet. Now extensive building has started north of this dike and the area is enjoying a huge face lift. Friday nights is considered the shopping night of the week and shops stay open till 9 PM. On Fridays in the summer months are what is called the Diekdays (Diekdagen in Dutch). These days there are special activities like sports car racing and bicycle racing in the middle of the town. The town hosts most of the schools on the island. With a large public and Christian high school and several craftsman schools. Middelharnis has an inland harbor with connection to the Haringvliet. At the entrance of the harbor a new vacation resort has been established called 'Nieuw Zeeland'. There is also a small beach which can get very crowded in the summertime. The old main streets in both towns are very pretty. Starting at the church and ending at the harbor both towns, they are very identical. In Middelharnis the old main street has the old municipal building, which has housed the Rien Poortvliet Museum from 1992 until the end of 2006. Both towns have the in the centre the church and the rest of the town sort of vanes out from this center.

In Sommelsdijk a sports complex with swimming pool is present called De Staver.

Stad aan 't Haringvliet is a small village and has a small harbor with beach. Like most of the towns on the island the old windmill has been preserved.

Nieuwe Tonge's main entry roads are the two dikes that form the edges of the town.

Prinses Margrietstraat in Middelharnis.

Het Laantje van Middelharnis (Avenue of Middelharnis) by Meindert Hobbema (1689).

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Middelharnis

Plan of Middelharnis

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