Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: fortress

The Fort bij Nigtevecht (Fort near Nigtevecht) was completed in 1904. The purpose of the fort (part of the Stelling van Amsterdam *) was to defend the accesses to Amsterdam, formed by the Merwedekanaal (nowadays Amsterdam-Rhine Canal) and the river Vecht. It also protected the sluices between these two waters. A second battery is located in the defence line wall near the fort. The fort has also three mounds, which are the remnants of anti-aircraft artillery positions that were installed in 1927. During the mobilization from 1915 till 1918 about 300 soldiers slept in the fort. In World War II, the Germans used it for storage. The fort - hidden in the green - is located on a quiet location near the Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal. One can walk around wfor free. A large part of this stronghold was made waterproof and restored by Stichting Herstelling , a Dutch foundation that offers work experience to the jobless. Fort bij Nigtevecht is owned and managed by Natuurmonumenten , a Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands. * The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) is a 135 kilometers long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It was built between 1883 and 1920 and consisted of 46 armed forts and batteries, acting in concert with an intricate system of dikes, sluices, canals and inundation polders. It is a major example of a fortification based on the principle of temporary flooding of the land, aimed at protecting the Dutch capital against a possible foreign attack. The Stelling van Amsterdam is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

Fort Werk IV in Bussum is an unique fortress fort within the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). This defence line spans 85 kilometres; it starts at Muiden and ends at the Biesbosch and is 3 to 5 kilometres wide. It consists of 45 forts, 6 fortified towns, 2 castles, 85 machine gun casemates, over 700 concrete troop shelters and casemates as well as more than 100 military sluices and water engineering works. The New Dutch Waterline is the largest National Monument in the Netherlands. Naarden - one of the fortified towns - is located in the foothills of a high sandy area and remained a weak spot in the waterline; inundation was not possible in this elevated area. Due to the improvement of the artillery, especially the range of the cannons, the fortress of Naarden had to be defended from a greater distance. It was therefore decided to construct a circle of five fortresses around Naarden in the period from 1868 to 1870. Four of the five mainly earthen works have meanwhile disappeared. The largest fortress, Fort Werk IV , has been preserved. It is built on a rather high point and is a fortress without water. It only has a ‘dry moat’, containing a wall with loopholes as a physical barrier. This crenellated wall is unique in the Netherlands and one of the main reasons why the fort is a National Monument. The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since July 2021. Fort Werk IV has been restored to its former glory. As of July 2018, the fort is owned by theatre Spant! and nowadays used for business meetings and other events. The fort is freely accessible.

The history of Naarden goes back to the 10th century. In that time the town was not situated on its current location. After destruction the town was rebuild in 1350 on its current position on a high sand ridge that formed the only access to Amsterdam out of the east. Due to this strategic position, Naarden developed into one of the most important fortified towns in the Netherlands in the upcoming centuries. A fortified town differed from medieval cities with walls and solitaire forts; fortified towns combined the civil and military function and were situated on important strategic positions. For Naarden this function was the defence of Amsterdam, the country’s capital and economic centre. The current unique star shape of Naarden with double stone ramparts and moats dates back to the 17th century, when the fortifications were reinforced and updated to modern standards after the siege of 1673 by the French. Most of the fortifications that exist today date from this period. During the 19th century the fortifications were updated, resulting in the construction of many new bomb shelters and other army-related buildings like barracks. After the World War I the need for Naarden as a fortress was over. The army left and the city with its fortifications was turned into a monument and preserved just in time to prevent it from being demolished. The beautiful fortifications and the many military buildings are the silent witnesses of that glorious period and a perfectly preserved piece of Dutch defensive history.

The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) is a 135 kilometers long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It was built between 1883 and 1920 and consisted of 46 armed forts and batteries, acting in concert with an intricate system of dikes, sluices, canals and inundation polders. It is a major example of a fortification based on the principle of temporary flooding of the land, aimed at protecting the Dutch capital against a possible foreign attack. The Stelling van Amsterdam is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. The Fort bij Spijkerboor is the largest of the 46 fortresses, located in the Beemster Polder. The fort was built between 1889 and 1911 to defend the Northern Front. It was one of the most modern and heavily armed forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, equipped with an armoured turret with a double-barrel 10.5-centimetre cannon. The fort has two storeys because of the height of the dike to be defended. The fort was mobilized during the World War I. At that time there were 300 soldiers stationed. Although this defensive structure remained in the possession of the Dutch army until 1975, it has been mainly used as a prison throughout the years. Over the course of time, inmates have left their mark in the form of beautiful murals. At the heart of the fortress is a chapel, featuring these decorations. Fort bij Spijkerboor can be visited and is a kind of musuem, showing how the soldiers lived there with sleeping quarters, laundry rooms, an army kitchen with huge boilers and even a private loo for the officers !!

Acrocorinth was the fortified acropolis (“upper city”) of both Ancient and Medieval Corinth. It was built on a steep, rocky hill 575 meters high at the highest peak. Acrocorinth is a typical example of castle architecture built in successive phases. Three successive defensive walls lead via an equal number of gates to the interior, covering 240.000 square meters. The ruins of the temple of Aphrodite (5th-4th century BC), several Christian churches, a Byzantine underground cistern, mosques, fountains etc. still survive. The perimeter walls have a length of 3.000 meters, making it the largest fortress in the Peloponnesos. The first phase in the history of the walls dates to the 7th-6th century BC, which was a time of prosperity for the city of Corinth. In 146 BC the walls were destroyed by the Romans. Substantial efforts at fortification were made in the Middle Byzantine period (8th-12th century). In the year of 1210 the castle was taken by the Franks. Over the following centuries numerous repairs and improvements were made, by both the Franks and the Palaeologi, at a time when the city of Corinth seems to have moved inside the castle. Works were also carried out by the Ottoman conquerors and by the Venetians, who reinforced parts of the walls during the second Venetian occupation (1687-1715). More recently, there was a German garrison stationed there during World War II invasion of Greece from May 1941. Nowadays Acrocorinth is not only a particularly interesting archaeological site. Most of the current towers and walls are medieval, but built on ancient foundations. Due to its location it also offers uninterrupted panoramic views across Ancient Corinth , the new coastal city of Corinth and the Corinthian Gulf.

During our visit of the Hohensalzburg we were most impressed by the Fürstenzimmer , located in the main building. These Prince’s Chambers, consisting of the Golden Hall, the Golden Chamber and the archbishop’s bedchamber. The furnishings in all of these rooms are original and have remained unchanged since 1501/1502. We were a little bit unlucky as in one of the rooms were restorations work was in progress. Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach had the magnificent state apartments installed, which were primarily used for representative purposes and for festivities. The Golden Hall was richly decorated and indicates that Hohensalzburg was not only a refuge in times of crisis, but frequently also a residence up to the 16th century. The Golden Hall has four massive marble pillars and one 17 meters long beam, supporting the ceiling. The Golden Chamber and the bedchamber both have stunning gothic wood carvings. The Golden Chamber has benches along the walls, decorated with grapes, foliage and animals. The smallest room is the Archbishop’s bedchamber with even a private bathroom. It has also a richly decorated tile stove. The ceilings of the three rooms are coffered, each coffer being adorned with gold buttons, symbolizing the stars in the sky.

Fortress Hohensalzburg - more than 900 years old - is a completely walled castle. It towers high above Salzburg (PiP1), on the top of the Festungsberg . With a length of 250 meters and a width of 150 meters, it is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and looks more or less like a small village (PiP2). Hohensalzburg was built in 1077 on behalf of archbishop Gebhard and has been inhabited by the prince-bishops of Salzburg for centuries. In 1462, the castle was fortified with four towers. Under archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach the fortress was extended from 1495 until 1519. Since the middle of the 17th century, no large-scale changes have taken place. Hohensalzburg was only besieged once during the German Peasants’ War (1524-1526). But it has never been captured by foreign troops and has therefore been preserved in good condition. During the Napoleonic Wars, the last prince-bishop fled to Vienna and the castle was abandoned without resistance. Hohensalzburg also served as a prison for a long time. Bishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau was imprisoned here until his death. He lived at the height of Salzburg's salt wealth and helped the city to build many beautiful buildings. However, he had a 'secret' wife and 15 children. When he had built the beautiful Mirabell Castle with gardens for that woman and children, the Pope in Rome thought it was enough and had the bishop imprisoned in Hohensalzburg. Until the Second World War, the fortress was a prison. It is now primarily an event venue and one of the city's main tourist attractions. A number of artists live in Hohensalzburg and the buildings are also home to three museums. From the fortress one has a wonderful view of the historical city of Salzburg and its surroundings (PiP3). For me the highlight of my visit were Princes’ Chambers .

Monemvasia is a town, which is located on a small island - 300 metres wide and 1.000 metres long - off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The island - cut off from the coast by an earthquake in the year of 375 - is connected with the mainland by a 200 metres long causeway. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 meters above sea level and a rather small piece of land with the walled town itself. The town's name derives from the Greek words, mone and emvasia , meaning "single entrance". It is also called “Gibraltar of the east” The town and fortress were founded in 583 by inhabitants of the mainland, seeking refuge from the Slavic and the Avaric invasion of Greece. From the 10th century, Monemvasia developed into an important trade and maritime centre. Monemvasia - a natural fortress - was inhabited and soon became a strategic fortress claimed the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians and Ottomans. The town was liberated from Ottoman rule on July 23, 1821 by Tzannetakis Grigorakis, who entered the town with his private army during the Greek War of Independence. Monemvasia became linked with mainland Peloponnese in 1971 by the causeway and a small bridge. The town has become an important touristic site with an increasing number of visitors, strolling along the cobbled streets and paths amid the mansions and Byzantine churches. Medieval buildings have been restored and many of them converted into hotels. These days, though, only around 20 people live in the kastro (fort) permanently. (I took the main picture from the Upper Town, which was home to the Venetian aristocracy and nowadays offering a wonderful panoramic view of (the rooftops of) Monemvasia and the surrounding area.)

The first attempt to create a harbour in the bay of Heraklion (in that time called Chandax) took place during the Arab period (9th-10th century). Following the restoration of Crete to the Byzantine Empire in the year of 961, Chandax developed into a thriving city and its harbour was consequently fortified and improved. When the island fell into the hands of the Venetians (1204), Candia (as the Venetians called both Heraklion and the whole island) became "the other Venice of the East". Especially during the last two centuries of Venetian rule, it was the greatest harbour in the Eastern Mediterranean. Very few modifications were carried out to the harbour during the Turkish period (17th-19th century). In the 20th century the construction of a coast road demolished much of the Venetian harbour installations. Nowadays the old Venetian harbour is used by fishing boats and yachts. In the background of the image stands the Venetian fortress of Koules (Rocca al Mare), dominating the entrance to the old harbour. The PiP shows a Venetian lion above the entrance of the fortress.

Flour mill "Nooit Gedagt" is standing on one of the bastions of the fortress of Woudrichem. Originally the mill was built in the year of 1682 and was destroyed during World War II. "Nooit Gedagt" was rebuilt and reopened in 1996. Woudrichem itself is one of the official eleven Dutch fortress towns and its name ‘Walrichsheim' was already found in the year of 866. It became known as Woudrichem as from 1290, and could already be considered a town at that time, having a sheriff, aldermen and a council. It became city rights in 1356. For another view of the same windmill: www.ipernity.com/doc/327263/28234661/in/group/100944