Fort near Velsen, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

Fortifications UNESCO World Heritage sites

This is the only Defence Line fortress made of concrete that has been partly demolished. The fort was outfitted, amongst others, with three turrets with 150 mm guns. These had a long range and could fire at targets as far as the estuary of the North Sea Canal and the area between the towns of Haarlem and Castricum. The front building with a single turret has been spared.

The Fort near Velsen defended the North Sea Canal and its banks up to the coastal fort IJmuiden. The stronghold was completed in 1899. Its sale to a private individual in 1978 and the partial demolition of the fortress in 1981 caused the Province of North Holland to realize that the Defence Line of Amsterdam as a whole should be preserved.

The fort is now used for storage and is not open to the public.

  • The remains of Fort Velsen
  • The last canon turret on Fort Velsen
Country:
Netherlands
Rating:
10
Latitude:
52,4631873
Longitude:
4,6660915
Wikipedia:
Link
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