Mol, Belgium

Mol (Dutch pronunciation: [mɔl]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Mol. On January 1, 2014 Mol had a total population of 35,395 inhabitants. The total area is 114.19 km2 which gives a population density of 307 inhabitants per km2.[2][3][4]

Station Mol
Mol
Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Mol
Location in Belgium
Location of Mol in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°11′N 05°07′E
CountryBelgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceAntwerp
ArrondissementTurnhout
Government
 • MayorWim Caeyers (CD&V)
 • Governing party/iesCD&V, N-VA
Area
 • Total114.26 km2 (44.12 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total36,544
 • Density320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Postal codes
2400
Area codes014, 011
Websitegemeentemol.be

Mol is a popular holiday resort, with many lakes surrounded by woods. There are two main tourist lakes:

  • Zilvermeer, which opened as a Provincial Park in 1959 and offers a white sand beach as well as facilities such as an outdoor playground and an underwater museum for divers.
  • Zilverstrand: Originally, it had only an outdoor lake with a white sand beach. Later, a caravan park was built and mid-1990s an indoor swimming pool was created.

Furthermore, there is a Sun Parks holiday centre called "Kempense Meren" with an indoor swimming pool.

The museum of Jakob Smits is located in the former vicarage of Mol-Sluis. This displays works of the artist Jakob Smits (1855-1928) and other painters of the Molse School, who were attracted to the area by its rustic views including several windmills (of which only one remains).

In the north-east corner of Mol, near the Dutch border, lies the Norbertine Postel Abbey. Mol is also home to the SCK•CEN Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the Flemish institute for technological research (VITO) and a European School. The first industries in Mol were the Vieille Montagne company and the explosive factory N.V. La Forcite. In 1872 the Sablières et Carrières Réunies (SCR), now Sibelco, was founded in order to extract the silica sand layers in Mol for industrial applications. The company became the global market leader in this sector with production sites all over the world.

The 15 chapels[5] were built by Pater Helsen in 1815 with 14 co-workers of the region. It is a protected monument.

Municipality structure

The municipality of Mol is divided in different townships respectively named:

  • Mol-Centrum
  • Mol-Achterbos
  • Mol-Donk
  • Mol-Ezaart
  • Mol-Ginderbuiten
  • Mol-Gompel
  • Mol-Heidehuizen
  • Mol-Millegem
  • Mol-Postel
  • Mol-Rauw
  • Mol-Sluis
  • Mol-Wezel

Places of interest
Monument for the victims of the World War I
Mill of Ezaart
Former factory workers school of the glass factury Glaverbel in Gompel
Postel Abbey
Sunparks resort 'De Kempische Meren - Rauwse Meer'
Saint-Anthony chapel and roadside cross
The old enclosed churchyard in the center

Civil architecture
  • Waterlock along the canal Dessel-Schoten
  • Bailey bridge (Postel)
  • Mill of Ezaart Ezaart
  • Casino (Gompel)

Religious architecture
  • Saint-Peter and Paul church (Mol)
  • The Postel Abbey
  • The 15 chapels in Achterbos (België) Achterbos
  • Saint-Willibrord chapel (Ezaart)
  • Lourdes cave (Sluis)
  • Saint-Bernard church (Sluis)

Museum
Kempisch binnenhuis, painting by Jakob Smits, collection Jakob Smits Museum
  • Jakob Smitsmuseum in Sluis. Smits was a central artist to the Molse School. The museum's collection contains mostly works of his alongside several other artists of the Molse School.

Education

European School, Mol is located in the city.

Notable born or raised inhabitants

References
  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. Statbel.fgov.be (see Mol)
  3. "Statbel.fgov.be" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  4. "Statbel.fgov.be" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  5. 208erbos.be
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