Fort Bourtange

In the north-east of the Netherlands, in the province of Groningen, near the border with Germany is situated a lovely, star-shaped fort Bourtange. It was built in 1598 at the behest of William of Orange, to control the only road linking the city of Groningen with Germany. Set on the sandy ridge and surrounded by wetlands, it had never been conquered, nor by the Spaniards, neither by the Franco-German army (1672). Despite its prowess Bourtange stopped to be a military place in 1851 and became a village, gradually deteriorating. In 1960 thanks to renovation fort was brought back to the shape from the mid-eighteenth century. Currently it serves as an open air museum. Beautifully flowered houses (in Bourtange lives presently over 400 people) overshadowed the raw, military character of this place, but traces of the military past are still very visible. At the summer they are additionally reminded by international volunteers in historical soldier’s uniforms. Photo: Renata Głuszek, Wikipedia (1, 2, 10).

Bourtange_1657_Merian

Luchtfoto_bourtange

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Bourtange_vesting_9

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Poles also were there 🙂

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