Leek, Netherlands

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Leek

---

mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Groningen
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 64.27
area_land_km2 = 63.57
area_water_km2 = 0.70
population_as_of = 1 January, 2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 19164
population_density_km2 = 301
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2

Leek (Pronunciation|010 Leek.ogg) is a municipality and a town in the Groningen province in the northeastern Netherlands, bordering on the Drenthe and Fryslân provinces.

The town is approximately 20 km west of Groningen (city) on the A7 (E22) highway.

The town grew around a fortification that was constructed here during the Eighty Years' War with Spain. The name 'Leek' was derived from a brook, the "Leke". The town is sometimes also called "The Leek". In Dutch the people from Leek are called "Leeksters".

Every year around pentecost there is a fair, drawing thousands of people from the area. The main attraction in the town is the "Nienoord" estate with the National Carriage Museum and a recreation park with model railways in several scales, including "live steam".

Near the town is a shallow lake, called "Het Leekstermeer", with recreational facilities. Actually, the lake is in another municipality and in another province.

Population centres

Enumatil, Leek, Lettelbert, Midwolde, Oostwold, Tolbert and Zevenhuizen.

External links

* [http://www.leek.nl Official Website]
* [http://www.rijtuigmuseum.nl/index.htm Carriage museum]