Baurtang: an amazing star fortress in the Netherlands

The view of this city from a height resembles the scenery for the shooting of a science fiction film, it looks so unusual. And yet this is not a figment of the imagination of science fiction writers, but a medieval fortified city, which was built in the 16th century.

Baurtang is located on the territory of modern Netherlands, near the border with Germany, in the province of Groningen and has a very interesting history. XVI and XVII centuries entered the history of Europe as the Golden Age of Spain. During this period, Spanish possessions extended far beyond the borders of modern Spain and included Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and other territories. But from time to time, rebellions broke out on the occupied lands against the Spanish invaders. One of such periods of resistance was the Eighty Years War - a war of part of the provinces of the Netherlands for independence.

The Baurtanga fortress was to become an important strategic object on the way from the Netherlands to Germany, therefore, special attention was paid to its protection. After the appearance of cannon guns, the walls of ancient fortresses and castles became vulnerable and could no longer withstand the powerful attacks of the invaders. Therefore, engineers and builders of fortifications in the 16th century proposed another type of fortress - in the shape of a star.

The Baurtanga Fortress, built in 1593 by order of the resistance leader Prince William I of Orange, successfully resisted the attempts of the invaders. The fort was surrounded by a moat along the perimeter, and inside there were barracks and ramparts. Over its centuries-old history, the Baurtanga has been rebuilt and expanded more than once, but its original form has remained unchanged. After the independence of the Netherlands from Spain and the end of internecine wars with German neighbors, the fort lost its strategic importance and began to decline.

By the middle of the 19th century, nearby settlements and agricultural fields had grown, ditches were filled up as unnecessary, and the building of the fortress itself was almost destroyed. And only a century later, local authorities decided to restore the unique fortification.

In the 1960s, work began on the reconstruction of Fort Baurtanga. Buildings on the territory of the fortress were partially restored, and ditches with water were re-excavated and earthen ramparts were made. Today, this amazingly beautiful fortress in the village of Baurtang attracts many tourists and recalls the struggle of the Netherlands for independence.