Bourtange Fortress, Bourtange, Netherlands

Near the German border, in Westerwolde (Southeast Groningen), is the fortress Bourtange.

In 1580 William of Orange gave the order to build a fort on the sand ridge in the Bourtanger moor, on the border of modern Germany. On the order of William Louis of Nassau the fortress was raised in 1593.

Between 1593 and 1851 Bourtange was an important fortress. An agrarian village came into being when the fortress was dismantled in 1851. Only a few buildings still remembered the glory of yesteryear. In the nineteen sixties the county of Vlagtwedde took the initiative to reconstruct the fortress. The plan was implemented between 1967 and 1992. Ramparts were again raised, ditches were dug and soldiers’ barracks were built.

References:

Bourtange.nl

Castles and fortifications in Netherlands

User Reviews

Markus Haas (11 months ago)
A very nice place. Visited during winter time and I think it is most beautiful in spring and summer.

William Bastemeyer (12 months ago)
Went here with ma family on a rainy and windy day. Not all shops were open, however that did not stop us from shopping in the shops that were open. Made some nice drone pictures and had some fun sightseeing.

Kasia KE (12 months ago)
Holland in a nutshell. If you want to see how Dutchmen lived hundreds years ago, you'll have the vibe there. Nice to go with kids, although not many playgrounds or kids focused things there. Take a warm cap cuz it's vrieselijk windy!

ISchef (12 months ago)
I've been here twice, once during the fall season and now during Christmas season and both times it was incredibly cute and cozy. I've been to both markets, the regular one in Fall and the Christmas market and it's always been a wonderful time to walk around the adorable houses and shops as well as walking around the fort itself. I can highly recommend coming here at least once and particularly during the Christmas season. They have many kid friendly activities, too. You do have to purchase tickets for the markets but the prices are sensible, in my opinion. The market opening times and special themes can be found on their website. It's such a great highlight in Groningen province and a wonderful afternoon trip.

Regardless Adversity (13 months ago)
Impressive geo-engineering. Nice thing about it, you only have to pay if you want to visit the museum, so visiting the village is free.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Bourtange Fortress

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse