Duffel, municipality in Antwerp, Belgium
Duffel is a small town in Belgium located in Antwerp province, known for centuries of woollen cloth production. It maintains its traditional character with brick houses, narrow streets, and an active railway station that opened in 1836 and remains a central point for the community.
Woollen cloth production started in Duffel in the 11th century and made the town famous for its craftsmanship. By the 1500s, Flemish workers brought these skills to England, where the cloth gained wider recognition and the name Duffel became associated with the material and later a coat style.
The name Duffel comes from the woollen cloth made here since the 11th century, a craft that shaped the town's identity. Local residents still take pride in this heritage, which spread across Europe and gave its name to the famous duffel coat.
The best way to explore Duffel is on foot or by bicycle, as the town is small and the streets are narrow. The railway station offers good connections to other places in the region, and the flat landscape around the town makes cycling easy and enjoyable.
The duffel coat became world-famous and took its name from this town, though the garment was later made in other countries. The thick wool coats with their distinctive toggle buttons and large hoods grew out of the town's original cloth-making tradition.
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