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

seulberg lala (3 years ago)
Nice fortification with a central square a few cafes, some shops etc on the inside. Unfortunately, the remarkable symmetry and beauty of the place can only be guessed at, when walking around the city or on the Dijks as there is no elevated observation point

Marc Blake (4 years ago)
Nice surprise. Highly recommend a visit

Dave Lole (4 years ago)
Superb reconstruction of the fort and village from mid-1700s and even better with the Christmas market. Great value and well worth the effort to visit.

Geht Euch Nichts An (4 years ago)
Impressive reconstruction of a star fort with an actual village inside. Very nice Christmas Market.

Aurora Signorazzi (4 years ago)
This tiny town is absolutely worth a visit. The drone pictures show its impressive architecture - hard to have that impression when you're on foot, however. The aren't restaurants or cafes open in the evening so try to visit somewhat early - even the nearby towns don't offer much

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

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