Viroinval

Nismes redirects here. The French municipality of which the name sounds alike, is Nîmes.

Viroinval
Flag
Viroinval Location in Belgium
Coordinates: 50°05′N 04°33′E / 50.083°N 4.55°E / 50.083; 4.55
Country	Belgium
Region	Wallonia
Community	French Community
Province	Namur
Arrondissement	Philippeville
Government
– Mayor	Freddy Cabaraux (PS)
– Governing party/ies	PS, CDH
Area
– Total	120.90 km2 (46.7 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2010)[1]
– Total	5,758
– Density	47.6/km2 (123.4/sq mi)
Postal codes	5670
Area codes	060
Website	www.viroinval.be
Map of Viroinval

Viroinval (French pronunciation: [viʁwɛ̃val]) is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. On January 1, 2006 Viroinval had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 120.90 km² which gives a population density of 47 inhabitants per km².

Villages in Viroinval

The name Viroinval, Viroin (River) Valley, was chosen for the municipality that was formed by fusing eight villages, in 1977: Dourbes, Mazée, Le Mesnil, Nismes, Oignies-en-Thiérache, Olloy-sur-Viroin, Treignes, Vierves-sur-Viroin.^[2]

• 

  Dourbes

• 

  Nismes

• 

  Olloy-sur-Viroin

• 

  Treignes

• 

  Vierves-sur-Viroin

Curiosities

Oignies-en-Thiérache, Monument for the geographical centre of the EU until its May 2004 expansion

• From 1995 to 2004, Viroinval was the location of the geographical centre of the European Union, at coordinates 50°00′33″N 4°39′59″E / 50.00917°N 4.66639°E / 50.00917; 4.66639 (Geographical centre of the European Union (15 members)) in Oignies-en-Thiérache, and a monument there records that finding. On May 1, 2004 the EU expanded from fifteen states to twenty-five, and the geographical centre of the union moved eastwards to the village of Kleinmaischeid, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. On 1 January 2007 it shifted even further south-eastwards.
• The tourist steam train line Mariembourg - Treignes has most of its stations in villages of Viroinval: Nismes, Olloy-sur-Viroin, Vierves-sur-Viroin, and Treignes.^[3] The latter village has a relevant museum.^[4]

External links

• Official Website of the municipality
• The former Centre of the European Union
• Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2009

References

1. ^ Population per municipality on 1 January 2010 (XLS; 221 KB)
2. ^ "Viroinval" (in French). Viroinval municipality. http://www.viroinval.be/xml/page-IDC-24342-IDD-33307-LANG-en-.html. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
3. ^ "Trois Vallées – Chemin de fer touristique" (in French). Viroinval municipality. http://www.viroinval.be/xml/page-IDC-24342-IDD-33307-LANG-fr-.html. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
4. ^ "Musée du Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des Trois Vallées" (in French). Viroinval municipality. http://www.viroinval.be/xml/page-IDC-24342-IDD-33308-LANG-fr-.html. Retrieved 2011-09-24.