Land of Heusden and Altena

The Land of Heusden and Altena is an area in the north of North Brabant that is bordered by the Merwede to the north, the Afgedamde Maas and the Heusdensch Canal to the east, the Biesbosch to the west, and the Bergsche Maas to the south.

The area consists of the three municipalities of Woudrichem, Aalburg, and Werkendam. However, there has been talk for years about a single municipality called Altena. This possibility is still being investigated. In total, about 54,000 people live there (2009), spread across 21 villages. Until the opening of the Merwedebrug bridge in Gorinchem in 1961, it was essentially an island with an isolated population. As for its landscape, it continues the Gelderland river area, particularly the adjacent Bommelerwaard. The clay soil differs significantly from the sandier soil more commonly found in Brabant.

The Land of Heusden and the Land of Altena have been mentioned together since the construction of the Bergsche Maas in 1904. The Bergsche Maas cut through the Land of Heusden, causing the southern "lower villages" and also Heusden itself to orient more toward the rest of Brabant. Therefore, they fall outside the Land of Heusden and Altena. The historical border between the former lordships of Heusden and Altena runs north of Veen and Babyloniënbroek and east of Dussen. Both areas share a common origin from the medieval county of Teisterbant,

which was subsequently designated as Holland in the 13th and 14th centuries, respectively, and only at the beginning of the 19th century became Brabant. A notable difference from the rest of North Brabant is the area’s strong Protestant influence.

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