Viroinval

Municipality in French Community, Belgium

Viroinval Virwinvå (Walloon)
Municipality

Flag Coat of arms
Location of Viroinval
Viroinval Location in Belgium Location of Viroinval in the province of Namur
Coordinates: 50°05′N 04°33′E / 50.083°N 4.550°E / 50.083; 4.550
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Namur
Arrondissement	Philippeville
Government
• Mayor	Baudouin Schellen
• Governing party/ies	Viroinval autrement - RéCIT
Area
• Total	121.22 km² (46.80 sq mi)
Population (2018-01-01)^[1]
• Total	5,731
• Density	47/km² (120/sq mi)
Postal codes	5670
NIS code	93090
Area codes	060
Website	www.viroinval.be

Viroinval (French pronunciation: [viʁwɛ̃val]; Walloon: Virwinvå) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.

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.

The municipality consists of the following districts: Dourbes, Mazée, Le Mesnil, Nismes, Oignies-en-Thiérache, Olloy-sur-Viroin, Treignes, Vierves-sur-Viroin.

The name Viroinval, Viroin (River) Valley, was chosen for the municipality that was formed by fusing eight villages, in 1977.^[2]

Dourbes
Nismes
Olloy-sur-Viroin
Treignes
Vierves-sur-Viroin

Attractions

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 / 50.00917; 4.66639 (Geographical centre of the European Union (15 members)) 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

^ "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
^ "Viroinval" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
^ "Trois Vallées – Chemin de fer touristique" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
^ "Musée du Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des Trois Vallées" (in French). Viroinval municipality. Retrieved 2011-09-24.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Viroinval.

Official Website of the municipality
The former Centre of the European Union
Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2009