Breukelen

Breukelen () is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is situated to the north west of Utrecht, along the river Vecht and close to the lakes of the Loosdrechtse Plassen, an area of natural and tourist interest. It is located in an area called the Vechtstreek.
It is the namesake of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
History.
During the 17th century, many wealthy Amsterdam merchant families built their mansions along the river near Breukelen. On 1 January 2011 Breukelen merged with Loenen and Maarssen to form Stichtse Vecht. There is a large Van der Valk (Hotel Breukelen) hotel, the façade of which is in the Chinese style. Universiteit Nyenrode is located in Breukelen. In addition, the New York City borough of Brooklyn is named after Breukelen (see History of Brooklyn).
Population centres.
The former municipality of Breukelen consisted of the following villages: Breukelen, Kockengen, and Nieuwer Ter Aa.