Altena

Geography

The municipality was formed on 1 January 2019, by the merger of the municipalities of Aalburg, Werkendam, and Woudrichem. Aalburg was only a municipality, Werkendam and Woudrichem are also population centres. Werkendam is the largest town, and the small city of Woudrichem is the historical centre of Altena. The village of Almkerk serves as the municipal seat and lies in the middle of the municipality.

Altena is a rural community with population centres mainly concentrated along the surrounding waterways. These waterways are (clockwise, starting in the west): Nieuwe Merwede, Boven Merwede, Afgedamde Maas, Heusdensch Kanaal, Bergsche Maas, and Amer.

De Biesbosch National Park is partially situated in the western part of Altena.

The municipality of Altena is nearly identical to the region of the Land van Heusden en Altena. Only the De Biesbosch area, consisting of the De Biesbosch National Park and polders above, falls outside. The waterway Steurgat largely forms the boundary.

Population centres

The municipality of Altena officially has 1 city, 18 villages, and 27 hamlets. However, many villages are the size of a hamlet, and Werkendam and Woudrichem are the size of towns, the latter also having city rights.

City

Woudrichem

Villages

Hamlets

Topography

Map of the municipality of Altena, 2020

Transport

Altena is accessible by bridges and ferries. Important bridges are the northern Merwede Bridge and the southern Keizersveer Bridge. Both bridges are part of motorway A27, which crosses the municipality from north to south.

A car ferry in the very western part connects the city of Dordrecht with Altena.

Nearest railway station is Gorinchem railway station in the municipality of Gorinchem, above Altena on the other side of the Boven Merwede river.

History and religion

Altena is the southernmost part of the Dutch Water Line, an obsolete defensive line, which contains several fortresses in this municipality like Fort Steurgat, Fort aan de Uppelse Dijk, and Fort Giessen, and with Woudrichem as a fortified city.

Contrary to most other North Brabant municipalities, Protestantism is dominant in the Altena municipality, especially the Reformed branch. Church attendance is high, and Christian-oriented political parties receive many votes.

Politics

After the 2026 elections, the municipal council consisted of:

The municipal executive consists of CDA, Altena Lokaal, SGP, and Progressief Lokaal. The Mayor has been CDA politician Egbert Lichtenberg since 9 December 2019.

Sports

Several football clubs have their home base in the municipality:

Achilles Veen in Veen

GRC '14 in Giessen

Kozakken Boys in Werkendam

VV Almkerk in Almkerk

Each year the 7-Dorpenomloop Aalburg, a prestigious women's road bicycle race, is held in the southeast corner of Altena (the area of the former municipality of Aalburg, hence the name).

Notable people

Jan Hendrik van den Berg (1914–2012), psychiatrist

Erik Braal (born 1971), basketball coach

Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944), prime minister

Leendert Antonie Donker (1899–1956), minister of Justice

Louwrens Hanedoes (1822–1905), landscape painter

Hans van Helden (born 1948), speed skater

Adri van Heteren (born 1951), politician and Christian minister (in Werkendam)

Cornelis Pieter van den Hoek (1921–2015), resistance fighter (line-crosser)

Louis van Iersel (1893–1987), American sergeant of World War I

Ricardo Ippel (born 1990), footballer

Rebekka Kadijk (born 1979), (beach) volleyball player

Jan Lohman (born 1959), footballer

Anton Mussert (1894–1946), civil engineer, political leader and war criminal

Hans Oerlemans (born 1950), climatologist

Leo van der Pluym (1935–2020), cyclist

Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (born 1991), writer

Elsbeth van Rooy-Vink (born 1973), cyclist