Simpelveld

Simpelveld

*Zumpelveld*
Simpelveld Zumpelveld
Municipality
	Skyline of Simpelveld
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location in Limburg
	Coordinates: 50°50′N 5°59′E / 50.833°N 5.983°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Limburg
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Richard de Boer (VVD)
Area
• Total	16.03 km2 (6.19 sq mi)
• Land	16.03 km2 (6.19 sq mi)
• Water	0.00 km2 (0.00 sq mi)
Elevation	138 m (453 ft)
Population (January 2021)
• Total	10,477
• Density	654/km2 (1,690/sq mi)
Demonym	Simpelvelter
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	6350–6353, 6369
Area code	045
Website	www.simpelveld.nl

Simpelveld (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsɪmpəlˌvɛlt] ^ⓘ; Limburgish: Zumpelveld [ˈzʏm˦pəlˌvælt˦]) is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands. It is part of the municipal cooperative unit Parkstad Limburg.

Simpelveld is part of the Mergelland, named after the presence of chalk (mergel), hill country popular with tourists. The Mergellandroute passes through the town.

The population centre of Simpelveld has 28 national monuments, amongst which are the Oude Molen and the Saint Remigius Church. Simpelveld has a heritage railway station and is the home base of the South Limburg Railway Company. On one weekend in October there is a Day Out with Thomas from the children's television series Thomas and Friends.

Population centres

Bocholtz
Simpelveld

Besides these official centres there are other hamlets which fall under the municipality:

Baaks-Sweijer
Baneheide
Bocholtzerheide
Bosschenhuizen
Broek
Bulkemsbroek
In de Gaas
Huls
Molsberg
Prickart
Vlengendaal
Waalbroek
Zandberg.

*Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Simpelveld, June 2015*

Religion

The municipality has two churches within its borders:

James the Greater Church in Bocholtz
Saint Remigius Church in Simpelveld

The city also has two monasteries, these are

the Loreto monastery and
Huize Damiaan, which has been home to The International Butler Academy since 2015.

Regional language

Simpelveld is part of The Netherlands and therefore the official language is Dutch. A lot of people also speak Simpelvelds, a regional language that depending on the definition belongs to Ripuarian or Limburgish. It is also referred to as Southeast Limburgish.

Notable people

Step Vaessen (born 1965) a Dutch broadcast journalist, currently working as a Moscow correspondent for Al Jazeera English
Ralph Hamers (born 1966) a Dutch businessman, the chief executive officer (CEO) of UBS Group
Jolanda Jetten (born 1970, Simpelveld) a Dutch social psychologist and academic

Gallery

Saint Remigius Church
Station Simpelveld
Limburgs, De Boanhei
Aerial view of Simpelveld

References

^ "Burgemeester mr. R. (Richard) de Boer" [Mayor mr. R. (Richard) de Boer] (in Dutch). Gemeente Simpelveld. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
^ "Postcodetool for 6369AH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.