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Meerhout
Center-meerhout-2004.png
Flag of Meerhout
Flag
Coat of arms of Meerhout
Coat of arms
Meerhout is located in Belgium
Meerhout
Meerhout
Location in Belgium
Country Belgium
Community Flemish Community
Region Flemish Region
Province Antwerp
Arrondissement Turnhout
Area
 • Total 36.29 km2 (14.01 sq mi)
Population
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 • Total Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Postal codes
2450
Area codes 014
Website www.meerhout.be

Meerhout is a small town in Belgium. It is located in the Antwerp province. Meerhout is a type of local government area called a municipality. In 2021, about 10,279 people lived there. The town covers an area of 36.29 square kilometers. This means about 264 people live in each square kilometer. A famous singer named Kate Ryan used to live in Meerhout. She is well known in many parts of Europe.

Meerhout is also part of an important economic area. This area is connected to the Albertkanaal (Albert Canal). This canal is named after King Albert I of Belgium.

People Living in Meerhout

On January 1, 2008, there were 9,578 people living in Meerhout. Slightly more than half of them were men (50.4%). The rest were women (49.6%). Most people living in Meerhout were older than 40 years old.

Over the years, Meerhout's population has grown steadily. In 1806, only 2,534 people lived there. By 1900, the population had almost doubled to 4,531. The town continued to grow throughout the 20th century. By 2008, it reached 9,578 people.

Fun Things to Do in Meerhout

Meerhout is a popular place for tourists to visit. Many people enjoy exploring the area.

Cycling Routes

One popular activity is cycling. There is a special cycling route called the "drieprovincieënroute." This name means "three provinces route." It goes through three different provinces: Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, and Limburg.

Places to Stay and Shop

You can find places to stay like bed and breakfasts (B&Bs). Most shopkeepers in Meerhout can understand English. This makes it easy for visitors.

Popular Visitors

Meerhout is especially popular with people from the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland. Some older English visitors also come. They visit places like "The Wing" and other memorials from World War II.

Groezrock Festival

Every year, a huge music festival takes place in Meerhout. It is called Groezrock. This festival happens around the last weekend of April. About 30,000 people travel to Meerhout for it. Groezrock is one of the biggest punk rock festivals in the world.

Schools in Meerhout

Meerhout has five schools. These schools are for young children. They teach kids from age 3 (preschool) up to age 12 (primary school).

For older students, there are secondary schools nearby. These schools are in towns like Geel, Mol, Diest, and Tessenderlo. Students can easily reach them by public transport, car, or bicycle.

Sports and Activities

Meerhout hosts a special sports event every October. It is a cyclo-cross competition. Cyclo-cross is a type of bicycle racing. It takes place on a mixed terrain course.

Meerhout's Radio Station

Meerhout used to have its own radio station. It was called "MeerGoud." The name "MeerGoud" is a play on "Meerhout." "Goud" means "Gold" in Dutch. However, the radio station stopped broadcasting in 2006.

Famous People from Meerhout

  • Kate Ryan is a well-known singer. She has won many awards. She is very famous in France and other parts of Europe.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Meerhout para niños

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