Fort Pannerden, Doornenburg, Netherlands

Fort Pannerden was constructed between 1869 and 1871 to serve as part of the New Dutch Waterline. Originally built completely out of brick and mortar, with just one main battery guarding the Rhine, it was upgraded significantly during 1885-1895. The main battery was completely rebuilt, with armour and concrete, while two additional armoured batteries were added and the roof of the fort was reinforced with concrete. The fort had strategic significance in that it guarded the Pannerden Canal, which supplied the water for the inundations of the New Dutch Waterline and could potentially be used as a route towards the main line of defence, but the fort saw little active service.

In World War I the Netherlands remained neutral, although the fort was manned as part of a general mobilisation. In World War II on May 10, 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands, the fort was first bypassed and then surrounded. On May 11, cut off from the rest of the Dutch army, the commander of the fort surrendered under threat of artillery bombardment and air attack. Most of the fort was subsequently stripped of all useful materials and after 1945 the building fell into disuse.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Netherlands

User Reviews

Patrice Pauw (3 years ago)
Nice for everyone. Kids can enjoy the escape journey ☺️ Lots of historical sites and stuff to see. A place you must see when you're in the neighborhood.. Especially when you have a good guide

Beatriz G C (3 years ago)
Nice historical place. Guide mostly speaks dutch but you can ask for english explanation. I liked the cannon ball shooting ?You can have a tea and a piece of delicious apple pie in the cafeteria.

x TR (5 years ago)
Amazing and free location. Paid only guided tours. You can spend here easily half a day. Recommending to walk 2 river split.

Tessa Kreunen (5 years ago)
Perfect spot to visit with friends or family. Incredible panoramic views of the riverbanks and nearby cities such as Nijmegen. Despite its strategic placement, the fort has not played any major role over the years. Nevertheless, the fort has a rich cultural history that can be explored via a guided tour or a sort of escape room/quest. The nature area around the fort is home to some amazing wildlife. So don’t be surprised if you suddenly face a cow on your way to the fort.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.

Fort Pannerden

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle