Gulpen-Wittem

Gulpen-Wittem (Dutch: [ˈɣʏlpə(ɱ) ˈʋɪtəm] ^ⓘ; Limburgish: Gullepe-Wittem [ˈɣʏləpə ˈwɪtəm])^[tone?] is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands (in the province of Limburg) with 14,206 inhabitants as of 2021.

Gulpen-Wittem Gullepe-Wittem
Municipality
The Gulp River through Gulpen
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Limburg
Coordinates: 50°49′N 5°53′E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Limburg
Established	1 January 1999[1]
Government [2]
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Nicole Ramaekers-Rutjens
Area [3]
• Total	73.36 km2 (28.32 sq mi)
• Land	73.18 km2 (28.25 sq mi)
• Water	0.18 km2 (0.07 sq mi)
Elevation [4]	95 m (312 ft)
Population  (January 2021)[5]
• Total	14,206
• Density	194/km2 (500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	6270–6289, 6320–6321
Area code	043
Website	www.gulpen-wittem.nl

Gulpen-Wittem came into being after the merger of the municipalities Gulpen and Wittem. This took place after a request of both municipalities. At the time of the merger, both municipalities had about 8000 inhabitants, although Wittem was bigger than Gulpen. The town hall was situated in Gulpen, and has kept its function as town hall in the new municipality. The former town hall of Wittem was situated in a manor house in Mechelen since 1986, which is now being used as a "nursing hostel".

The municipality is rural, with many castles, half-timbered houses and old monumental farms. Yearly, Gulpen-Wittem attracts many tourists from the entire country because of its relatively sloping landscape, especially during the summer.

Population centres

• Beertsenhoven
• Berghem
• Berghof
• Beutenaken
• Billinghuizen
• Bissen
• Bommerig
• Broek
• Cartils
• Crapoel
• Dal
• De Hut
• Diependal
• Dijk
• Elkenrade
• Elzet
• Epen
• Eperheide
• Etenaken
• Euverem
• Eys
• Eyserheide
• Gracht
• Gulpen
• Heijenrath
• Helle
• Hilleshagen
• Höfke
• Hurpesch
• Ingber
• Kapolder
• Kleeberg
• Kosberg
• Kuttingen
• Landsrade
• Mechelen
• Mingersberg
• Nijswiller
• Overeys
• Overgeul
• Partij
• Pesaken
• Piepert
• Plaat
• Reijmerstok
• Schilberg
• Schweiberg
• Sinselbeek
• Slenaken
• Stokhem
• Terlinden
• Terpoorten
• Terziet
• Trintelen
• Wahlwiller
• Waterop
• Wijlre
• Wittem

Topography

Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Gulpen-Wittem, June 2015

Economy

Apart from beer brewing ("Gulpener" (at Gulpen) and "Brand" (at Wijlre)), vinegar production ("Gulpener") and agriculture, tourism is essential aspect of economical activity in this municipality. Especially Slenaken is a distinct tourist site.

Notable people

Antoon Coolen, 1959

• Jan Gerard Kemmerling (1776 in Gulpen – 1818) Mayor of Heerlen and Nieuwenhagen
• Adolphe Engers (1884 in Gulpen – 1945) a Dutch writer and stage and film actor^[6]
• Martinus Cobbenhagen (1893 in Gulpen - 1954) a Dutch Roman Catholic priest, economist and academic
• Antoon Coolen (1897 in Wijlre - 1961) a Dutch writer of novels
• René van der Linden (born 1943 in Eys) a retired Dutch politician, diplomat and economist
• Sjef Hensgens (born 1948 in Wijlre) a retired Dutch middle-distance runner, competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics
• Henk Savelberg (born 1953 in Mechelen) a Dutch head chef
• Ralf Vandebergh (born 1976 in Nijswiller) a Dutch astronomer and professional photographer

Gallery

• 
  The river Gulp near Slenaken
• 
  Hilly landscape near Slenaken
• 
  Countryside panorama
• 
  Kunstroute Gulpen
• 
  Epen, panorama of the village from Camerig