Viroinval

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

Viroinval
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Viroinval Location in Belgium
Location of Viroinval in the province of Namur
Coordinates: 50°05′N 04°33′E / 50.083°N 4.550°ECoordinates: 50°05′N 04°33′E / 50.083°N 4.550°E
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Namur
Arrondissement	Philippeville
Government
• Mayor	Freddy Cabaraux (PS)
• Governing party/ies	PS, CDH
Area
• Total	120.90 km^2 (46.68 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2013)[1]
• Total	5,810
• Density	48/km^2 (120/sq mi)
Postal codes	5670
Area codes	060
Website	www.viroinval.be

Viroinval (French pronunciation: ​[viʁwɛ̃val], Walloon: Virwinvå) 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

Attractions

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 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]

References

1. Population per municipality on 1 January 2013 (XLS; 607.5 KB)
2. "Viroinval" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
3. "Trois Vallées – Chemin de fer touristique" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
4. "Musée du Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des Trois Vallées" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.

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