Valkenswaard

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Valkenswaard

---

mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = North Brabant
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 56.44
area_land_km2 = 55.01
area_water_km2 = 1.44
population_as_of = 1 January, 2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 30865
population_density_km2 = 561
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2

Valkenswaard (pronunciation|229 Valkenswaard.ogg) is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord-Brabant. The municipality had 30,943 citizens (as of June 1, 2005) and spans an area of 56,50 square kilometers (1,15 of which is water).

The name Valkenswaard stems from its history of falconers, who caught wild falcons there; "valk" is Dutch for "falcon". It lay on a route where falcons migrated south each year. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, Valkenswaardian falconers were active at many European courts, in which falconing was a beloved pastime. In the 19th and 20th century, a number of large cigar factories were founded in Valkenswaard, the two most renowned of which being Willem II and Hofnar ("court jester"). Valkenswaard's falcon-catching area has now been built over and falcons are no longer caught there.

Population centres

*Borkel en Schaft
*Dommelen
*Valkenswaard

Famous people born in Valkenswaard

* Bouke Beumer, politician
* Caroline de Bruin, actress
* Romé Fasol, mayor
* Pieter van Geel, politician
* Dominique van Hulst ("Do"), singer
* Jan Tops, equestrian

External links

* [http://www.valkenswaard.nl Official Website]