Krimpen aan de Lek

The Lek (Dutch pronunciation: [lɛk]) is a river in the western Netherlands of some 60 km (37 mi) in length. It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River. The Nederrijn is, itself, a distributary branch of the river Rhine. Portions of the river form the boundary between the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland, and between Utrecht and South Holland. In Roman times, the Nederrijn flowed into the Kromme Rijn and these streams were the main outflow of the river Rhine. When the Kromme Rijn began to silt up in the Middle Ages, the Lek became the primary branch. A short distance past Wijk bij Duurstede, the river intersects with the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, which continues south towards the Waal. A branch of this canal, the Lekkanaal (Lek Canal) is connected to the river at the city of Nieuwegein. Other major towns on its banks are Culemborg, Vianen, Schoonhoven, Nieuw-Lekkerland, Lekkerkerk and Krimpen aan de Lek. The bed of the river lies slightly higher than the surrounding lands and dikes are therefore essential to contain the Lek. At the village of Kinderdijk the Lek meets the Noord River and the combined stream is thereafter known as the Nieuwe Maas as it flows down towards the North Sea.

Nederwaard Molen No.1 is one of the Kinderdijk windmills, in the Dutch municipality of Molenlanden. The mill, which dates from 1738, is inhabited and cannot be visited. The owner is the Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation. The mill has an iron paddle wheel with a diameter of 6.30 meters with which the low basin of the Nederwaard is drained. The mill has sagged over the years and probably around 1870 a buttress was built against the hull on the northeastern side to prevent further sagging.

Slikkerveer is a village in the municipality of Ridderkerk, Netherlands. In 2004, 8550 people lived in Slikkerveer. It is located about 6 km east-southeast of the city of Rotterdam

The Gorzen is a nature park in the Dutch province of South Holland, located on the eastside of Ridderkerk, between the New Veer and the New harbor. The nature- and recreational park The Gorzen is a former dumpsite with a total area of 40 acres (16 ha). The park was formed in consequences of all kinds of activities and circumstances in a period of half a century shaped in a hillside nature park with a few lakes and brooks.

The windmills at Kinderdijk are a group of 19 monumental windmills in the Alblasserwaard polder, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Most of the mills are part of the village of Kinderdijk in the municipality of Molenlanden, and one mill, De Blokker, is part of the municipality of Alblasserdam. Built in 1738 and 1740, to keep water out of the polder, it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands and one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. The mills are listed as national monuments and the entire area is a protected village view since 1993. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

Kinderdijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌkɪndərˈdɛi̯k]) is a village in the municipality of Molenlanden, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located about 15 km (9 miles) east of Rotterdam. Kinderdijk is situated in the Alblasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. To drain the polder, a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

Alblasserdam (Dutch: [ɑlˌblɑsərˈdɑm] (listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It covers an area of 10.06 km2 (3.88 sq mi), of which 1.28 km2 (0.49 sq mi) is water, and has a population of 20,069 as of 2019. Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the Netherlands, is part of Alblasserdam.

Nederlek (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈneːdərlɛk] (listen)) is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard. The former municipality covered an area of 31.24 km2 (12.06 sq mi) of which 3.42 km2 (1.32 sq mi) was covered by water. It was formed on 1 January 1985, by the amalgamation of the municipalities Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. Its name means "Lower Lek", a reference to its location on the Lek River. There is no town called Nederlek; the former municipality consisted of the population centres Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. The last town gained notoriety in 1980 when a large amount of toxic waste was found underneath a residential area built in the 1970s. The cost of cleaning up the mess ran up to 188 million guilders (approximately 90 million US dollars).

Ridderkerk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌrɪdərˈkɛr(ə)k] (listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 46,241 in 2019, and covers an area of 25.26 km2 (9.75 sq mi) of which 1.54 km2 (0.59 sq mi) is covered by water. The municipality of Ridderkerk also includes the following towns, villages and townships: Bolnes, Oostendam, Rijsoord and Slikkerveer. Ridderkerk has a museum called De Oudheidkamer, about the history of the town. The Centre of Ridderkerk has a central square for events and there is a theater.

The Groenedijk Monument, also known as the Dukdalf, is a monument in Capelle aan den IJssel that serves as a memorial for the events that took place in 1574 related to the Eighty Years' War, also known as the Dutch Revolt. During the conflict, William the Silent ordered the destruction of several dykes to stop the Spaniards who were surrounding the Dutch city of Leiden. The tactic proved to be successful, as the Spanish troops were greatly affected by the incoming water, which took them by surprise. The Spanish troops lost their mobility, whereas the troops mustered by William the Silent had prepared for the water using small ships. With the help of the controlled destruction of dykes in four strategic locations, the city could be freed with the help of the Sea Beggars, better known as the Geuzen. The people in Leiden, who had been starving for months, could now be fed with herring, which became a Dutch tradition to remember the Siege of Leiden.

Ouderkerk aan den IJssel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌʌudərkɛr(ə)k aːn dən ˈɛisəl]; English: Ouderkerk upon IJssel) is a village in the municipality of Krimpenerwaard, in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It is situated along the river Hollandse IJssel and has over 4000 inhabitants. Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, together with Lageweg and IJssellaan, was a separate municipality until 1 January 1985 when the municipalities in the Krimpenerwaard were reorganized and it was merged with Gouderak to form the municipality Ouderkerk. Of these, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel is the largest population centre and the location of the town hall.

Ouderkerk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʌudərˌkɛr(ə)k] (listen)) is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard. The former municipality covered an area of 28.57 km2 (11.03 sq mi) of which 1.50 km2 (0.58 sq mi) was water. It was formed on 1 January 1985, after a municipal reorganization. The former municipality of Ouderkerk consisted of the population centres Gouderak, Lageweg, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, and IJssellaan, all situated along the Hollandse IJssel river.