Fort Bourtange
Fort Bourtange is also known as de fort that was never taken. It was commissioned in 1580 by none other than William of Orange to build the first fortification on an important passage through the swamp.
Take a closer look
De fort reached its largest size in 1742. From the second half of the eighteenth century, however, Bourtange's military significance declined due to the drying up of the surrounding swamp. In 1851, de fort was disbanded. Bourtange became a quiet agricultural village and the fortifications decayed over time. In the 1960s, the municipality of Vlagtwedde took the initiative to reconstruct de fort to the situation of 1742. The reconstruction was completed in 1992. Every year, a historical battle is re-enacted in the summer.
Visitor information
The information centre (entrance building of de fort) form...
De fort reached its largest size in 1742. From the second half of the eighteenth century, however, Bourtange's military significance declined due to the drying up of the surrounding swamp. In 1851, de fort was disbanded. Bourtange became a quiet agricultural village and the fortifications decayed over time. In the 1960s, the municipality of Vlagtwedde took the initiative to reconstruct de fort to the situation of 1742. The reconstruction was completed in 1992. Every year, a historical battle is re-enacted in the summer.
Visitor information
The Information Centre (entrance building of de fort) forms the basis for your visit to de fort. Besides a short visual introduction to the history of de fort, you will find information about today's Bourtange. The fortress fort Bourtange is open all year round because it is a public village. The restaurants and shops have their own opening hours. An entrance fee is charged for the museums of Fort Bourtange. A combination entrance ticket for the museums is available at the information centre. Tickets should be reserved in advance via the website, or at the information centre's counter. You buy a ticket for a time period of 2 hours, giving you enough time to visit the museums