In 1875, the Netherlands passed the fortress law. In this law it was layed out which areas in the Netherlands had to be able to be defended in case of war. Emphasis was put on the coastal defense, and for instance the defence of big cities like Amsterdam in the form of a Stelling around the capital. Within the Stelling Den Helder, it was decided that an armored coastal fort had to be built on the sandbank Harssens. It wouldn’t be the only armored coastal fort, but it would be a unique one in shape and execution. To man the fort, a new regiment was established. Fort Harssens is unique because of the biggest canons that have ever been put on top of a fort. In two domes, there were two canons each with a diameter of 30,5 cm (12”, 1′). Directed at navigation channel Molengat, they could propel objects up to 7 kilometers away. De domes were moved by hydraulics en could turn 360 degrees. The fort was ready in 1885, en left empty in 1920. After the war, the German canons and armored domes were removed. After the war, the fort was used as a foundation for the harbor co-ordination center of the new naval port, and the dry canals were filled up with concrete. In 2010, a new start has been made to make the fort accessible again. Nowadays that is largely possible again, and guided tours are being given.
Nearby locations
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Fort Westoever
- Location
- Den Helder
Fort Westoever was built around 1825 to defend the newly constructed North Holland Canal against attacks on the harbor of...
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Kanoroute Den Helder
- Location
- Den helder
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“Multivlaai”
- Location
- Den Helder
Enjoy our delicious pies. We have the well-known fruit pies but also pies for example with Oreo Cookies. Are you looking for a gluten or lactose free flan? We can offer it.
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Apple mix Fried Chicken
- Location
- Den Helder
Apple mix offers various dishes including; boxes with fried chicken, wraps, sandwiches, burgers and more.
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Andrea’s Bags
- Location
- Den Helder
We sell a nice range of leather bags and wallets from Italy, soap from Tuscany, Italian delicacies, olive oil, pasta...
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Noorderkunstkring
- Location
- Den helder
The goal of this organisation is to further develop art. We want to keep the interest for art lively. On our site there is more information about the artist, their work and the diffrent techniques being used.
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Helderse Musical Association Showboat
- Location
- Den Helder
Showboat is a musical group from Den Helder, who are playing a musical each year. The organisation has 15 members.
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Hotel Den Helder
- Location
- Den Helder
Our cozy 3-star familyhotel is situated close by the city center of Den Helder: city of sun, sea, beach and dunes. We welcome everyone! We have a cozy bar, restaurant, lounge and attractive inner garden. You can unwind there and enjoy a cup of coffee, all while reading a book or doing a spot of work on your laptop or tablet. There is free Wi-Fi in the public areas. At Hotel Den Helder, you find a broad variety of possibilities. See you soon at Hotel Den Helder!
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Triade – House of the Arts
- Location
- Den Helder
Triade is the House of the Arts in Den Helder and the surrounding area. A home for everyone who would like to be involved with music, musical, dance, photography & multimedia and visual arts. For anyone who wants to enjoy Art and Culture and/or want to develop further in this area. We have beautiful studios, a beautiful dance hall, sculpture and drawing studios and various music rooms.