User:Jorisheimer/sandbox

=Balk (town)=

Balk is a village in the Dutch province of Friesland. In 2010 Balk had 3780 inhabitants

Geography
Balk lies between Harich and Wijckel. The river the Luts flows through the village. It is said that it arose where a beam was over the river, thats why the village is called Balk because it means beam in Dutch.

History
At first Balk was a part of Harich. in 1585 Spanish soldiers from Groningen plundered Balk. In the 18th century Balk became wealthy due to the butter trade and in the 19th century it had become a village of its own.

Religion
Balk had various faith communities from in the beginning. One of them was the community of the Mennonites who were very strict in their believe. In the middle of the 19th century a big group emigrated to America to settle themselves there near Goshen in the state of Indiana

the biggest faith community in Balk is the one of the protestantism. The protestant community has about 1800 members and has 2 churches; a monumental church at the luts and since 1982 a new church. In the village there is also a catholic parish with a church devoted to Sint Ludgerus

Culture
The village and the river are said to have inspired the poet Herman Gorter to his famous poem 'Mei' in which Gorter doesn't speak of a village and a river but of a small city and a canal:

Een nieuwe lente en een nieuw geluid

Ik wil dat dit lied klinkt als het gefluit

Dat ik vaak hoorde voor een zomernacht

In een oud stadje, langs de watergracht.

As a memorial there is a statue of the poet. Balk further has a historical centre with a town hall from 1615.

In Balk and it's surroundings there is a newspaper: de Balkster courant

Balk has 33 national monuments (Rijksmonument).

Water sports
Nowadays Balk is a centre of water sports. To the Luts there is sailing school the Ulepanne, multiple winner of the dutch sailing schools championships. On the edge of the Slotermeer there is a big yacht harbor for cyclists and sailors there is a traditional skûtsje as a sailing ferry between Heeg and Balk. In the wintermonths there is sailed for the berenburgcup from Balk.

Public transport
Bus (Connexxion):

Line 47: Sneek - Jutrijp - Hommerts - Woudsend - Ypecolsga - Harich - Balk - Sondel - Nijemirdum - Oudemirdum - Rijs - Mirns - Bakhuizen - Hemelum

Line 41: Heerenveen • Joure • Scharsterbrug • Sint Nicolaasga • Spannenburg • Tjerkgaast • Sloten • Wijckel • Balk

Line 44: Lemmer - Sondel - Balk - Hemelum - Koudum - Workum - Parrega - Tjerkwerd - Bolsward

Born
Jetze Doorman (1881-1931), fencer

Johannes van Hout (1905-1972), mayor

Frans Haarsma (1921-2009), priest