Dyle (river)

Dyle/Dijle
The Dyle inMechelen
Location of the Dijle
Location
Country	Belgium
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Walloon Brabant
Mouth
• location	Rupel
• coordinates	51.0735°N 4.4201°E/51.0735; 4.4201
Length	86 kilometres (53 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Rupel→Scheldt→North Sea

TheDyle(French:[dil];Dutch:Dijle[ˈdɛilə]) is a river in centralBelgium,left tributary of theRupel.It is 86 kilometres (53 mi) long. It flows through the Belgian provinces ofWalloon Brabant,Flemish BrabantandAntwerp.Its source is in Houtain-le-Val, nearNivellesin Walloon Brabant.

The most important cities along the Dyle are (starting from the source)Ottignies,Wavre,LeuvenandMechelen,the last of which is often called the 'Dijlestad' (Dyle City). The main tributaries of the Dyle are the riversDemer(in Werchter,Rotselaarmunicipality), and theZenneat theZennegat,on the farthest outskirts of Mechelen, where the canal Leuven-Mechelen also connects. A few hundred metres downstream, the confluence of the Dyle and theNeteatRumstforms the river Rupel, which 12 kilometres (7 mi) further comes into theScheldton which the Antwerpseaportis located.

The Dyle used to be navigable for smallshipsfrom Werchter on, although nowadays commercial and pleasure navigation is limited to Mechelen, the upper locks at Mechelen being closed for navigation.

Tributaries

• Dyle
  • Zenne(Mechelen)
    • Maalbeek(Grimbergen)
    • Woluwe(Vilvoorde)
    • Maalbeek(Schaerbeek)
    • Molenbeek(Brussels-Laken)
    • Neerpedebeek(Anderlecht-Neerpede)
    • Zuun(Sint-Pieters-Leeuw-Zuun)
    • Geleytsbeek(Drogenbos)
    • Linkebeek(Drogenbos)
    • Molenbeek(Lot)
    • Senette(Tubize)
      • Hain(Tubize)
      • Samme(Braine-le-Comte-Ronquières)
        • Thines(Nivelles)
  • canal Leuven-Mechelen(Mechelen)
  • Vrouwvliet(Mechelen)
  • Demer(Rotselaar)
    • Velp(Halen)
    • Gete(Halen)
      • Herk(Herk-de-Stad)
      • Large Gete(Zoutleeuw)
      • Small Gete(Zoutleeuw)
  • Voer(Leuven)
  • (IJse) (Huldenberg)-(Overijse)
  • Nethen(Graven-Nethen)
  • Laan(Huldenberg-Terlanen-Sint-Agatha-Rode)
    • Zilverbeek(Rixensart-Genval)
  • Thyle(Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve)

See also

TheDyle Planwas an unsuccessfulAlliedplan to stop the German advance through the flat, central plains of Belgium in 1940.

From 1795 until 1815, when Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany were incorporated intoFrance,there was adepartmentnamed after the river Dyle, seeDyle (department).

External links

• Media related toDijleat Wikimedia Commons