Bourtange
Star Shaped Fortress Village Of 1593, Restored To Its 1742 State, With Moats, Bastions And Cobbled Lanes · Bourtange, Groningen
Bourtange is a star-shaped fortress village in the far east of Groningen province, right on the German border. It was built in 1593, during the Eighty Years' War, to control the only road through the surrounding peat bog towards the city of Groningen, then held by Spain. Later it became a garrison village, lost its military role in the 19th century and slowly decayed; from the 1960s it was restored to its plan of about 1742, with five bastions, earthen ramparts, double moats, drawbridges and a cobbled square of lime trees at its heart. Today you can walk the ramparts, enter the barracks, the officers' houses, the powder magazine and a 19th-century synagogue, see a windmill on the walls and sleep in the old buildings. It is one of the best preserved fortifications of its kind in Europe and wonderful from the air or on a map. The honest caveat: it is small, remote and very quiet outside summer, the museums close or shorten hours in winter, and without a car getting there takes patience.
Vesting Bourtange, Westerwolde municipality, beside the German border, Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands
The fortress village is open all year and free to walk in; you pay only for parking and the museums. The museums in the barracks and houses open daily in the main season, roughly April to October, with limited days in winter - confirm. The visitor centre with the car park is outside the walls. By car it is about 50-60 minutes from Groningen city. By public transport take a train towards Winschoten or Stadskanaal and a regional bus, which runs rarely, especially on Sundays - plan with 9292. Book rooms in the fort ahead.