Batterij near Durgerdam (Vuurtoreneiland), Zuiderzee front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

Fortifications UNESCO World Heritage sites

Vuurtoreneiland ("Lighthouse Island") is a small island in the IJmeer, Netherlands, just off the coast of Durgerdam. The island's main function is as a base for a lighthouse; a military fort on the island was abandoned in the 1930s.

History of lighthouse and fort

The island's lighthouse has been in operation since 1700; it is named for the opposite point on the mainland, Hoek van 't IJ, or "Corner of the IJ". The first lighthouse was a square, stone building. In 1809, the island was equipped with a military post, which, in 1844, was expanded to a real fort, which, in 1883, became a part of the Stelling van Amsterdam. The lighthouse was replaced with a cast-iron construction in 1893, which is still standing.

At the end of the nineteenth century, a bomb-proof building and artillery battery were built on the island, but its five guns were moved to Den Helder in 1904. In 1959, it was delisted as a stronghold, but the last soldiers had left long before. In 1981, the island was listed as a Rijksmonument, and in 1996, a bridge was built, which connected the island and the mainland. The fog signal was deactivated in 2001, and the light was extinguished in 2003, when the last lighthouse keeper retired. It was rekindled in 2005.

Current status

The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is owned by the Dutch state, and is managed by Staatsbosbeheer. Since a few years, a restaurant is located on the island, with a daily ferry service from Amsterdam.

  • Flight Hilversum-Amsterdam-Hilversum
  • Pampus Island
  • IJ-toren
  • Vuurtoren "De lantaarn van Ijdoorn"
  • Lighthouse and the positions for the 24cm guns
  • Vuurtoreneiland
  • Zicht op vuurtoreneiland@strekdam Amsterdam
Country:
Netherlands
Rating:
10
Latitude:
52,3723454
Longitude:
5,0137004
Wikipedia:
Link
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    Casemates Muiden-West, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Developments in warfare during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 prompted another round of upgrades and the construction of forts part of the Stelling van Amsterdam, Casemates Muiden-West.

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    Fort along Den Ham, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort along Den Ham is a fort that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Stelling van Amsterdam. It's located along the railroad from Uitgeest to Krommenie. The earthen walls date from 1896, the fort itself was finished in 1903.

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    Fort along Middenweg, North front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The function of the Fort along Middenweg was to defend the access that was formed by the Middenweg and Zuiderweg roads. In 1885 the fort was completed as a defendable earthwork. It was not until 1914 that the fortress reached its final completion, though, when the construction of the shellproof building was finished.

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    Fort along Nekkerweg, North front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    In 1886 the Fort along Nekkerweg was completed as a defendable earthwork. The shellproof building was finished in 1912 for the purpose of defending the accesses that were formed by the Nekkerweg and Volgerweg roads in the Beemster Polder.

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    Fort along the Drecht, South front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Defence Line of Amsterdam (in Dutch named Stelling van Amsterdam) is a 135 km long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam, consisting of 42 forts located between 10 to 15 kilometers from the centre, and lowlands that can easily be flooded in time of war.

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    Fort along the Liede, West front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort along the Liede is one of the four fortresses that were built after the reclamation of lake Haarlemmermeer. On the northern part of the fort’s grounds there is a casemate carrying the Mercury emblem of the Corps of Engineers and the year 1914.

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    Fort along the St. Aagtendijk, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort along the St. Aagtendijk has been given a remarkable new lease on life as a rehearsal space for musicians. Unique to this fort is the front caponier that was made from concrete: it’s an extension to the centre of the fort’s front wall that is outfitted on both sides with embrasures that could be used to fire sideways. The front of this caponier was protected against shellfire by a heavy protective earth wall.

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    Fort in the Waver-Botshol, South front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort in the Botshol is the only Defence Line fort whose defensible earthwork from 1895 has been preserved. The soggy peat soil around Amsterdam made it necessary to first strengthen the terrain with large amounts of sand. Also unique is the bridge behind the fort watchman's house, whose centre piece could be removed in times of danger.

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    Fort Island IJmuiden, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Fort Island IJmuiden (Dutch: Forteiland IJmuiden) is situated at the estuary of the Noordzeekanaal and is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. This sea fort island was built in 1885 as the most important advanced defence post of the entrance to Amsterdam.

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    Fort near Aalsmeer, Southwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Fort near Aalsmeer (1905), in popular language also called Fort Rijsenhout, is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. The fort is made with a double fort canal. Special is that the lever dome buildings remained intact, while most of these were taken apart and blown up during World War II.

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    Fort near De Kwakel, South front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort bij De Kwakel is a fort that is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. It's located in the village of De Kwakel. It's one of four forts that form the linie Kudelstaart - Uithoorn. To the west is fort bij Kudelstaart, to the east you find fort aan de Drecht and fort bij Uithoorn.

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    Fort near Hinderdam, Southeast front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Today the grounds of the Fort near Hinderdam are hardly recognizable as such, because the island is fully overgrown. Natuurmonumenten (a society for the preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands) consciously allows nature to erase the traces of the military past.

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    Fort near Kwadijk, North front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The function of the Fort near Kwadijk was to defend the accesses that were formed by the Amsterdam-Hoorn railroad and the Middelie-Axwijk road. Construction of the defendable earthwork with moat was completed in 1895, but work on the concrete fortress was abandoned with nothing but the foundations and part of the flooring put in place.

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    Fort near Marken-Binnen, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort Markenbinnen is currently being used by RBOC "Fort Markenbinnen", an education and training centre for firefighters and rescue workers. This foundation has refurbished the fortress. The wooden partitions in the fort’s premises and the sanitation facilities are still in place.

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    Fort near Spijkerboor, North front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Fort near Spijkerboor (1913) is one of 42 fortifications of the so-called Defence Line of Amsterdam. Recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage site, Mostly mostly due to the ingenious concept of using controlled flooding, to stop the enemy.

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    Fort near Uithoorn, South front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Defence Line of Amsterdam (in Dutch named Stelling van Amsterdam) is a 135 km long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. Fort near Uithoorn, South front, Defence Line of Amsterdam.

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    Fort near Veldhuis, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    The Fort near Veldhuis had the job of defending the causeway coming from Heemskerk/Assumburg. This dike served in part to regulate the accurate flooding of the land on both of its sides (inundation dike). The defensible earthwork was completed in 1893, the shellproof building in 1897.

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    Fort near Velsen, Northwest front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    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.

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    Muiden Fortress, Zuiderzee front, Defence Line of Amsterdam

    Muiden Fortress (Dutch: Muizenfort - 'fort of mice') is a Dutch fortress in Muiden. It is part of the defence line of Muiden, that is part of the Stelling van Amsterdam, the UNESCO World Heritage site that consists of a set of forts around the city of Amsterdam.

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    West Battery, Muiden, Defence Line of Amsterdam

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