Editing Wijk bij Duurstede (section)

== City ==
The city (population as of 2007: 23,377) is located on the [[Rhine]]. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the [[Kromme Rijn]] (Crooked Rhine) branches off, and the main branch is called [[Lek River]] downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede.

The name 'Wijk bij Duurstede' means 'Neighbourhood by Duurstede'. Duurstede is the name of the [[Duurstede Castle|nearby castle/ruin]], also called [[Dorestad]], where the bishop of Utrecht used to live. Wijk bij Duurstede is the former location of [[Dorestad]], an important [[Frisians|Frisian]] trade settlement during Carolingian times that was pillaged around 850 by the [[Vikings]].

Wijk bij Duurstede has the only [[:File:Wbd Runmolenpoort.jpg|drive-through wind mill]] in the world. The mill is often confused with the mill that was made famous by [[Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruisdael|Ruisdael]]'s [[:File:Jacob Isaaksz. van Ruisdael 014.jpg|1670 painting ''The windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede'']], but that mill no longer exists (its foundations can still be seen a couple of blocks away from the remaining mill). At the market place of Wijk bij Duurstede is one of the few church towers in the Netherlands with a flat roof, as built because the bishop could not afford to build a spire. Inside the tower a picture displays the planned construction of the tower. The tower was supposed to become higher than the [[Domtoren]] in [[Utrecht]].

Wijk bij Duurstede received [[city rights in the Netherlands|city rights]] in 1300.

[[File:Rorik by H. W. Koekkoek.jpg|140px|thumb|Rorik by HW Koekkoek]]