Luchtwachttoren 7O1
During the Cold War, volunteers from the Air Watch Corps scanned the skies from this military watchtower in Warfhuizen. They were on the lookout for hostile Russian aircraft flying below the radar’s detection range.
Location
9963 PC Warfhuizen Plan your route to Luchtwachttoren 7O1Raid Luchtwachttoren 7O1
The air-raid watchtower was built in 1955 and is an open structure made of prefabricated concrete elements. The tower was designed by architect Marten Zwaagstra on behalf of the Ministry of War. The tower formed a triangle with the now-demolished tower in Warffum (7O2) and the halved tower in Bedum (7O3). After 12 years, the tower lost its military function, but it remained standing.
The tower is now one of the nineteen remaining air-raid watchtowers in the Netherlands. During the restoration in 2017, the Groninger Landschap organisation reinstalled interior features that had been lost, such as the air-raid warning instrument and the furniture in the shelter niche.
From April to September, the Luchtwachttoren is open to visitors on the third Sunday of every month. Guided tours for groups are also available on request.