Fort Bourtange – The Famous Star Fort Of The Netherlands

If you have been scouring the map for great places to visit in the Netherlands then you probably have stumbled across Fort Bourtange. Located in the north, very close to the border, this fort is beautiful. It isn’t just famous for its beauty though.

Fort Bourtange is famous for its shape. Yes! You heard me right. Unlike other forts that are usually squares or rectangles, Fort Bourtange is star-shaped.

You don’t really see the entire star shape while walking BUT if you catch a glimpse of any drone photographs of the fort, you will know exactly what I mean.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to just imagine what the shape is because I am going to take you on a virtual tour! So buckle up! 

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Fort Bourtange – Table Of Contents

• Location
• Entrance Fees
• Timings
• Things to do in Fort Bourtange

Fort Bourtange Location

Fort Bourtange Entrance Fees

The entry into the fort is free for everyone. The museums however are charged. The tickets are as follows.

Adults – €9.50

Children (6-11 years) – €5.50

Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children till 11 years) – €26

Children (0-5years) – Free

Map – €1

Fort Bourtange Timings

The fort is open everyday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Though I think these timings are mostly for the museums. You are free to wander around the fort irrespective of the time of the day. We left around 4:45 pm and people were still wandering in. Many were enjoying a drink.

Most of the restaurants in the fort are open till 7pm.

Things To Do In Fort Bourtange

The drive from Groningen to Fort Bourtange was a lovely one. We reached it in under an hour and we had a pretty leisurely drive. The star fort of the Netherlands was actually supposed to be just a stop on our way to Leer. We however landed up spending hours here and made it to Leer only for dinner.

There are different parts of the fort that you really should visit. I’m going to list out some of the places that I think should be high on your priority list.

Fort Bourtange Museums

Fort Bourtange has five museums in the complex. When you buy the museum tickets, you buy access to all the museums. 

They close at 4:30 pm which is why I recommend doing them first. Unless you have great weather that is. In that case, you may want to explore the other parts of the fort first because the weather in the Netherlands can turn pretty quickly.

1. Informatiecentrum Terra Mora

The Terra Mora museum is such a great interactive place for kids to explore in Fort Bourtange.

This was my favorite museum among all the places that we visited in Bourtange. The Terra Mora museum shows you a glimpse into all the areas around Bourtange. It also gives you an idea of which are the important landmarks in Groningen.

That however is not the best part of the museum. The kids loved the interactive bird display. 

The bird simulation was great too! Here you could sit on a large bird and the bird would move as you watched the scenery change on the screen in front of you. It is designed to simulate the flight of a bird and its view of the countryside below.

There is also a video that plays both in Dutch and English. It talks about the history of the fort and the wars that it was involved in.

Note: This was the museum that we spent the longest in. I think it was because it was so intuitive for kids. 

2. Synagogue Bourtange

There is a synagogue in the center of the city. It is right near the main square. The synagogue has been converted into a museum with a lot of Jewish artifacts on display. As a person who isn’t very familiar with the Jewish traditions, I found this museum very informative.

From the importance of the Passover to the Torah, we could read up on most artifacts because almost all the signs were written in both Dutch and English.

3. Kapiteinswoning

Kapiteinswoning literally translates into ‘Captain’s house’. In this museum you can walk back in time and see how the commander of the forces lived. If you think that he lived in luxury, then think again. The room (house!) is sparsely furnished with the kitchen, dining table and the bedrooms in the same room.

Mind you, back then, this was probably considered luxury. It did give us a very studio-like vibe. 

One interesting thing to note is that the beds are really small which for most is a big surprise. The Dutch are some of the tallest people in the world, so why such small beds?

Well back then, the Dutch were actually very short! Things changed once their quality of life and nutrition improved. You will see a similar kind of small bed in the windmills at Kinderijk.

4. Museum de Baracquen

The Museum de Baracqueen houses a lot of antiques from the past. It even has a model of the whole fort which is very interesting because you can see the walls form the star fort of the Netherlands.

5. Nieuwe Kruithuis

The Nieuwe Kruithuis or ‘New Powder House’ was open when we visited. There isn’t much to see inside. It does have an informational video in both English and Dutch that we found really cool. 

This video explained how the construction of the star fort of the Netherlands was undertaken. I really loved how they highlighted the additions to the fort over time. I think that the video really gives you a birds eye view of the star shape and its importance through history.

Oh and did I mention that this fort was never taken? Yes! It stood as an important defense structure and never failed.

Historical Monuments In Fort Bourtange

Aside from the 5 museums inside, you will find that there are a lot of historical monuments in Fort Bourtange. Most of them are outdoors (an exception being the church) so make sure that you plan to catch these sights when you have nice weather.

6. Vestingmolen Bourtange

One of the first things that you will notice about Fort Bourtange is the windmill.

When we visited, the blades of the windmill had been taken down so we were a bit confused initially. Luckily, there are signs and information everywhere.

Molen in Dutch means mill. Our basic Dutch really helped us in places like this. If you haven’t picked up the basic Dutch phrases yet, don’t worry. Use Google lens to translate. All you have to do is click a pic and translate. Amazing, right?

7. Bourtange Secreet (Historical Toilet)

Yes! You read that right! One of the historical monuments is a toilet. Lol! So we caught a mention of this when we were watching the documentary in the Museum de Baracquen. The toilet is a small out house and is situated such that everything drops into the canal below.

Not too sanitary.. But yeah that was how it was done in the past. Oh and interestingly enough, something similar was done in Goa too. Only the waste led down to pig pens. 

8. Heckmansbastion

Heckmansbastion is one of the coolest parts of Fort Bourtange.

Heckmansbastion is the corner of the fort where you will be able to see the cannons mounted and ready to be fired. These cannons are pretty impressive and if you walk up to the fort wall, you will have a good view of the canal and bridge.

When we visited, they had a dry run of firing a cannon. Surprise? So were we! We watched as they loaded up a cannon and fired it. There was no cannonball obviously but there was gunpowder and you could actually see the smoke and fire as the cannon fired.

The best part is that the explanation was in both Dutch and English.

9. Big Fort Bourtange Bridge

The big bridge is one of the most instagrammable spots in Fort Bourtange.

The big bridge is pretty gorgeous. Painted red, it makes such a contrast to the green in the background. If you are lucky to visit on a day with good weather, then this is also a great place to take photographs. 

If you really want to take a nice aerial view of the bridge, then get one from the fort walls. 

10. Small Fort Bourtange Bridge

Another epic instagram spot in Fort Bourtange is the small bridge.

The small fort bridge doesn’t really connect the path to the fort. It does however help you reach a small outcropping. This wooden bridge is painted red too and is another great location to take good pics.

11. Hervormde Kerk Bourtange

One of the landmarks in Fort Bourtange that you could potentially miss is the Hervormde Kerk.

This small church is very close to the windmill. I’m not sure if the church is currently in use or whether it was set up that way though.

The church is small inside. It has seating enough to house the community and has some of the traditional décor that you would expect. One thing that we found interesting was the pipe organ. I mean we did not really see the organ itself but we did see the pipes mounted. You will spot them as you walk out. Just look up!

Other Things To Do In Fort Bourtange

Aside from just exploring the historical monuments there is quite a bit that you can do at the fort. This is something you should keep in mind especially if you don’t buy the museum tickets.

12. Chill At The Main Square

The best place to hang out at Fort Bourtange is at the main square.

The main square is where everyone gathers to chill out. It is very central and is easily accessible from all over the fort. The main square has restaurants, B&Bs, souvenir stalls and two of the museums.

It is a great place for children to run around and for adults to just chill and take in the sun. Yes! I know I said take in the sun but after being in the Netherlands for a while, I’ve come to realize that being in sun means being warmer. So yes, we too have become seekers of the yellow light!

13. Walk Along The Fort Walls

One of my favorite things to do in Fort Bourtange was to walk along the walls. Not only does it give you a bird’s eye view of the surroundings, you will also find that there are lesser crowds here. It is a peaceful place to wander around.

14. Events At The Fort Bourtange

Fort Bourtange regularly hosts events. While we were there we caught a chance to see people fire a cannon. The best part about these shows is that they also explain everything in English. Some popular events in clue are the spring fair, summer fair and Autumn fair. 

Christmas Market In Fort Bourtange

Did I mention that they also have a great Christmas market in Fort Bourtange? You would need a ticket for all these events. Most tickets are pretty nominal at 5 euros per person. Children under 6 years enter for free.

Despite visiting Bourtange before, I have never had a chance to visit the Christmas market or the kerstmarkt as the Dutch call it. This year I decided that I had to bump it up to the top of my to do list in the season so on the first weekend that it opened up, we headed out to check it out. I have to say that the Christmas market in Bourtange is by far the best Christmas market in Europe that I have been to till date.

Why? What made it so different? Well generally I find that the Christmas markets are spread out across big cities and everyone does their own thing. The Christmas market in Bourtange was cozy. It was nestled across all the little lanes and in the main square.

There was a lot of singing and plenty of community spirit. So it felt like we were a part of one big family. As a person who is celebrating Christmas far away from my extended family, the experience left me with a warm feeling.

Things To Do At The Christmas Market In For Bourtange

There are plenty of things to do at the Christmas market in Bourtange. Here are a couple of things that we particularly enjoyed.

• Enjoy the mulled wine and other non alcoholic beverages that will keep you warm even on the coldest days.
• Listen to the Christmas carols that are sung in Dutch, German and sometimes even English.
• Try out some of the local delicacies including herring, zure (sour) bomb, bratwurst, crepes, poffertjes, candy, cakes and more.
• Shop for hand crafted souvenirs and Christmas ornaments.
• Walk along the fort wall and survey the countryside.
• Play some of the cool games. There are games for children of all ages.

When Are The Christmas Markets In Fort Bourtange Held?

The markets are held on the weekends. The markets are held from the 30th November and close off on the 15th of December 2024. Saturday timings are from 11 am to 9 pm. Sunday the market opens at 11 am to 6 pm.

And there you have it. These are some amazing things to do in Fort Bourtange that you really can’t miss. The fort is gorgeous in all seasons. So don’t put off your visit!