Picturesque Meppel In The Netherlands Editorial Image

Meppel is a city in the northeast of the Netherlands, in the south-west of the province Drenthe. It developed in the 16th century as a transport and distribution inland harbour for turf. There used to be a lot of waterways in the town, but now only one remains. People born in Meppel are occasionally referred to as Meppeler Muggen; this translates as mosquitos/gnats from Meppel. This is due to a traditional folk tale. The people of Meppel thought the church tower, the Meppeler Tower, was on fire. After closer inspection it was only a swarm of mosquitos.