Alphen, South Holland

Alphen a/d Rijn railway station is a railway station in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands.

Albaniana was the name the ancient Romans gave a settlement on the southern banks of Rhine river, some 40 kilometers from its mouth in the North Sea, known as Alfen and modern-day Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. They did build a military fort (Latin: castellum) there, as part of a range strategically built encampments, to protect and guard the river, frontier (limes) of the Roman empire and main transport route of goods and troops. The historical map Tabula Peutingeriana situates the settlement in between Matilo (Leiden) and Praetorium Agrippinae (Valkenburg) downstream and Nigrum Pullum (Zwammerdam) and Fectio (Vechten) upstream. The village was mentioned in Antoninus' register of roads Itinerarium Antonini from the 3rd century. The fortress must have been surrounded by a wall of ground and wooden poles, with gates and watch towers.

Vogelpark Avifauna (English: Avifauna Bird Park) is a large bird park in Alphen aan den Rijn, in the western Netherlands. It was the first dedicated bird park in the world. The park has a lot of greenery and ponds, and also a restaurant and a children's playground.

Archeon is an archeological open air and living museum in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands that did open in 1994. In Alphen an ancient Roman military fortress has been established around 40, the settlement was given the Latin name Albaniana.

Oudshoorn is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It was located on the Oude Rijn, opposite the village of Alphen, with which it merged to form the city of Alphen aan den Rijn. Oudshoorn was a separate municipality until 1918, when it became part of Alphen aan den Rijn.

Alphen aan den Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlfə(n) aːn də(n) ˈrɛin] (listen); English: "Alphen upon Rhine" or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, between Leiden and Utrecht. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of 110,986 in 2019, and covers an area of 132.50 km2 (51.16 sq mi) of which 6.27 km2 (2.42 sq mi) is water. The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen, Zwammerdam, and Boskoop. The city is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated centre area of the Randstad. The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman fort Albaniana, meaning "settlement at the white water". Its remains still lie underneath the city centre.

The Ashram College is a Dutch high school located in Alphen aan den Rijn and Nieuwkoop. It was established in 1929. The school offers VWO excluding or including the classical languages Latin and Greek, HAVO and VMBO-T. Ashram College is a Catholic school.

Gnephoek is a polder and a hamlet in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, and lies about 2 km west of Alphen aan den Rijn. The statistical area "Gnephoek", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 250.

Ridderbuurt is a hamlet in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, and lies about 2 km north of Alphen aan den Rijn. The statistical area "Ridderbuurt", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 120.

Woubrugge is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 10 km east of the city of Leiden, in the municipality of Kaag en Braassem.

Esveld Aceretum is (in the number of species and cultivars under cultivation at the site) the largest collection of maples in the world. The aceretum is part of PlantenTuin Esveld, a family-owned commercial nursery in Boskoop, Netherlands, that was founded in 1865. The term "aceretum" describes an arboretum devoted to maple trees and shrubs, i.e. plants belonging to the genus Acer. The aceretum was founded in the early 1970s, anchored by a giant specimen of Acer shirasawanum that was already about one century old. The aceretum now holds over 600 varieties of maples and is the holder of the Dutch Plant Collections of Acer. PlantenTuin Esveld is the holder of the national collections of several other Genus of plants as well.

The Groene Hart (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈxrunə ˈɦɑrt]; English: Green Heart) is a relatively thinly populated area of the Netherlands covering much of the middle portion of the Randstad megalopolis. The major Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht surround this area. Cities inside the Groene Hart include Zoetermeer, Alphen aan den Rijn, Gouda, Woerden and the smaller cities of Schoonhoven, Oudewater, Haastrecht, Nieuwkoop, Montfoort, Waddinxveen, Bodegraven and Boskoop. The Groene Hart is characterised by its rural character which contrasts the urban areas around it. Agriculture, nature and recreation are the primary activities in the Groene Hart. Residents and urban visitors can often find rest and many green spaces. Mills, dikes and Dutch cows are the primary landmarks of this lowland area. Thanks to the various separated cycle paths in the Groene Hart, the area can very well be explored by bike. The Groene Hart is of major importance to consolidate the number of Dutch meadow birds. The bird species black-tailed godwit, northern lapwing and Eurasian oystercatcher can all be found in the area.