Editing Loon op Zand (section)

== Population centres ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|
* De Moer
* [[Heikant, Loon op Zand|Heikant]]
* [[Kaatsheuvel]]
* Loon op Zand
}}
===Topography===
[[File:Gem-LoonopZand-OpenTopo.jpg|475px|]]

''Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Loon op Zand, June 2015.''

=== Kaatsheuvel ===
Kaatsheuvel is the location of the [[amusement park]] [[Efteling]].

=== Loon op Zand ===
[[File:Akte van Belening van Loon op Zand.jpg|left|thumb|The charter from 1269 that gives the land from [[John I, Duke of Brabant]] to Willem van Horne as a [[fief]]. Namesake of Loon op Zand.]]
Loon op Zand is the oldest village of the municipality. Somewhere around the year 1000, this village was founded in a very wet and swampy area. There was also a lot of drift-sand whose origin, according to geological experts, dates back to the last ice age. As of this moment, Loon op Zand has the biggest driftsand area in all of western Europe. Historically, the presence of this driftsand has caused the relocation of the village on several times. Hinerland farmers build many sandy embankments or levies to protect their land against the ceaseless drifting sand.

The presence of this driftsand explains the name of Loon op Zand. Before 1391, a village called 'Venloon' was situated just a few hundred metres to the north-east of the current village of Loon op Zand. After the villagers relocated in 1391, they called their new village 'Venloon op 't Zant' (Venloon on the Sand), which over the years changed to 'Loon op Zand'.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brabantserfgoed.nl/page/11359/venloon-en-het-oprukkende-stuifzand | title=Venloon en het oprukkende stuifzand | date=23 April 2020 }}</ref>

For 200 years, Loon op Zand and Kaatsheuvel were the centre of the leather tanning and shoe manufacturing industry of the region. There were a lot of factories; most of these were in people's backyards. There were some big shoe manufacturers, such as Van Lier. This world-famous shoe brand originated in Loon op Zand. Just prior to the new millennium, Van Lier abandoned their factory in Loon op Zand and moved to a bigger factory in Breda.