Defence Line of Amsterdam-Fort Abcoude

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 the centre, and lowlands that can easily be flooded in time of war. The flooding was designed to give a depth of about 30 cm, insufficient for boats to traverse. Any buildings within 1 km of the line had to be made of wood, so that they could be burnt and the obstruction removed.

The Stelling van Amsterdam was constructed between 1880 and 1920. The invention of the aeroplane and tank made the forts obsolete almost as soon as they were finished. Many of the forts now are under the control of the town councils and the nature department, and may be visited. Monuments Day, on the second Saturday in September, is the ideal day to visit as entrance is free.

Fort Abcoude is the oldest Defence Line fort and is surrounded by nature. Consisting partly of bricks and partly of sections of ‘brikkenbeton’ (concrete with broken fired clay bricks as coarse aggregate), the fort is a unique hybrid of the older brick forts of the Dutch Waterline and the subsequent concrete forts of the Defence Line of Amsterdam.

The Fort near Abcoude is located directly south of the residential area of the village of Abcoude.

Each second Saturday of the month, from May through September, tour guides from the Fort Abcoude Foundation will show you the buildings and the forest area that surrounds the fort. The tours last an hour and a half and starts as soon as several visitors have gathered. Part of the tour is a demonstration with the salute battery, which is always a special event. A small fee is asked.

Built between 1883 and 1885, Fort Abcoude served to defend the accesses that were formed by the Utrecht-Amsterdam railroad and the rivers Angstel and Gein as well as the roads running along them.

More information is available here.