Luchtwacht- en observatietoren Warfhuizen
This air-traffic control tower is a remnant of the Cold War. In the 1950s, there was still no reliable radar equipment to detect low-flying aircraft.
Have a look now
Location
9963 PC Warfhuizen Plan your route to Luchtwacht- en observatietoren Warfhuizen
This air-watch tower is a remnant of the Cold War. In the 1950s, there was still no reliable radar equipment to detect low-flying aircraft. To ensure the airspace was still properly monitored, various observation posts were set up. To save costs, these towers were mainly built on points that were naturally higher than the surrounding landscape, such as hills, dykes and embankments. In total, there were 276 watchtowers scattered throughout the Netherlands. Of these, 138 were situated on existing buildings, such as windmills and factories. In addition, a further 138 new towers were built specifically for this purpose by the Air Watch Service Corps.
The sentry posts were constructed from prefabricated concrete honeycomb elements. This tower, too, situated on the road between Warfhuizen and Wehe-Den Hoorn, was built specifically for the Cold War. Funds are currently being raised for the restoration of the luchtwacht-observatietoren.
Opening hours
- From April to September, Luchtwachttoren 7O1 in Warfhuizen is open to the public every third Sunday of the month from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm.