Zuid-Holland 2026 Alphen a/d Rijn
bekristo on Tour The flag of the Netherlands The flag of Alphen	And again to Alphen in 2026 Alphen aan den Rijn is a charming town and municipality in the province of Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands. The town has around 73,000 inhabitants and is strategically located in what is known as the Groene Hart (“Green Heart”) – a relatively open and green agricultural area surrounded by the country’s largest cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrech. The municipality had a population of 112,587 in 2021, The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman fort Albaniana, meaning "settlement at the white water" and the town is built along the banks of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine).   Alphen aan den Rijn, with the river "Oude Rijn" .
The river "Oude Rijn" starts at Harmelen, just west of Utrecht. From there, the Oude Rijn flows west through Woerden, Bodegraven, Alphen aan den Rijn, and Leiden before it reaches the North Sea at Katwijk. The current "Oude Rijn" is about 52 km long. - Living along the banks of the Oude Rijn must be nice - The Advent Church ("Advent kerk") is a church building of the Reformed Congregation, right in the center of Alphen aan den Rijn. The church is on the list of municipal monuments in Alphen aan den Rijn.. - And just beside a nice place to sit down in the middle of the shopping street Near the place where we lived during our stay in Alphen we could se a part of the canals connected to Oude Rijn. . Here is Rijnhaven - Oost . And right beside Cellnex-toren Alphen aan den Rijn This 135-meter-high PTT tower for wireless transmission of telephone signals was the first mast Nozema used for broadcasting digital terrestrial television. T The tower is nowadays mainly a hub for mobile communication and data connections. Thanks to the height of the mast, mobile signals can be spread over a large area, providing good coverage in Alphen aan den Rijn and the surrounding area. - We also visited "Koeien en Kaas", which had good food and sides, and offered opportunities for nice conversations by the river. The restaurant also reports that outside there is a lovely terrace right by the Oude Rijn, in the sun all day. A place where lunch just turns into an afternoon and a drink into a party. Is to be recommended. We got a table right next to a wine cabinet and could feel tempted to help ourselves to the good. But fortunately, even in the Netherlands, there are still some of the younger generation who think ice cream is the best. And then off to Leiden. The Netherlands has a very dense and well-developed road network, adapted to a flat and densely populated country. A-roads are the highways that connect the largest cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. N-roads are main roads that connect smaller towns and areas. What is special is that the water has helped determine where the roads go. Many roads follow old dikes and canals, and some are located directly on or along the dikes. Leiden is a good example: the A4 runs past the city, the N11 connects Leiden eastwards, while a dense network of local roads, railways, canals and cycle paths connects the city with the rest of the area. More from Leiden here!
From 2025: We walked along to visit the birds at Avifauna Bird Park in Alphen aan den Rijn.