Naarden Vesting History Tour

Of all the city gates Naarden ever had, only two of them where left in 1915, the Amsterdamse Poort. and the Utrechtse Poort. To be able to maneuver, the army destroyed the Amsterdamse Poort, to dismay of many during World War. The Utrechtse Poort (built in 1877) was preserved and richly decorated façade with a landmark at the entrance of the fortress. In the rooms on either side of the gate was the guard located, but also used for the confinement of prison inmates. For years the famous local tram, called "de Gooische Moordenaar" (Gooische Killer) was entering the fortress thru this gate..

This bridge could be folded against the walls in case of siege. Now it's a fixed bridge.

By crossing the canal to you enter barbican Orange Promers, where guard houses P and Q are located. In these former guard houses the army stored light guns, which could be placed on the barbican in the event of war. They protected the main wall to make it difficult for the enemy to cross the canal.

Shelter R2 was built in 1906 and made ​​of unreinforced concrete, a new building method at that time. It served for housing of a half infantry section (4 to 5 men), possibly supplemented with machine guns.

Here at the childrensfarm shelter Y1 was located, the same type as R2 we passed previously. The concrete roof is 60 inches thick. On top of the roof was a layer of sand or earth made ​​of 20 cm. The site for the shelter was recessed called armory where soldiers and material gathered.

Behind this playground is hiding shelter Z1, the same type as those passed R2 and Y1. The concrete roof is also 60 inches thick. On top of the roof was a layer of sand or earth made ​​of 60 inches. The site for the shelter was also called recessed armory where soldiers and material gathered.

This ravelijn which previously was not connected to the canal, is restored by the restoration of Naarden Vesting, but the ground cover has been removed to place the monument for the fallen of World War II.

During the restoration it was decided to bring back this bastion in the state of the 17th century while the rest of Naarden Vesting was brought back in style the 19th century, because many additions where made ​​to the fortress. The New Mill bastion buildings are demolished and the bastion is filled with earth, so a "square star" was obtained (one covered with earth center of the bastion which guns could be placed).

Remarkably, this is the only bastion without trees.

Here you can see the barrack of scouting Olav. This Barak is an original fort building that stood on several locations in and around the fortress. In 1959 is put down here.

This was until 1915 the Amsterdam port. It was demolished to make and a better flow of military traffic possible.

Between the paved road and the tip of the Old Mill is a bastion wall, the West Bear. A bear is a dam in the canal that served to to separate the salt water of the Zuiderzee and the freshwater. The pointed top of the bear and the two turrets on it (the Monks) makes the crossing by the enemy difficult. On the West Monk is made a walled marble plaque with a Latin text, with an explanation of the modernization of the fortress after 1673.

Originally output port of Naarden to the Zuiderzee, until silting up around 1640 made ​​this impossible.

Bastion Katten is built according the Old Dutch system, with straight walls on the sides with short range positions low on the flank. On top of the bastion shows the Cat, a high back ground on which heavy artillery was placed so that a much larger range.

This Ravelijn don't have stone walls and is not restored. It is a bird paradise and every year it became the summer home to a children's play camp an "Island Fortress".

Fort Ronduit was built between 1873 - 1875 to replace older works. There were located here to make it difficult for the enemy to pass the northside, between Naarden and the former south sea, now called IJsselmeer.

Bastion Oranje is a unique Bastion. It is part built in the Old Dutch style and part in the New Dutch style. In this Bastion was room for soldiers barracks, mortar- and gun bunkers and an ammunition magazine.

The artillerymen canteen was built in 1880 for the soldiers who were encamped in the Promerskazerne to relax. There was a relaxation room, a billiards room and in the basement was enough room to store beer.

This station is named after the builder Henry Promers. It was built between 1875 and 1877 and was a building with many functions: dormitories for 350 soldiers, hospital kitchens, pharmacy, accommodation for officers and NCOs, ammunition and gunpowder magazines. Everywhere everyone could get on the field to reach the gun bunkers at the flanks of the bastion. Today it is open to the public. The Latin motto over the entrance "Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum" gives the reader "do you want peace, then prepare for war".

Dit middeleeuwse huis kreeg in 1572 haar bijnaam door de vreselijke moord op de Naardense burgers die in het als stadhuis fungerende pand plaats vonden na de overgave van Naarden aan de Spaanse troepen tijdens de 80-Jarige Oorlog. Dit verhaal is in de gevelsteen terug te zien. Later werd in het pand de stadswaag gevestigd en onder de Franse bezetting begin 19e eeuw kwam er de garnizoensbakkerij in. De bakovens daarvan zijn nog aanwezig. In het Spaanse Huis is nu het Weegschaalmuseum gevestigd.

At Bastion is Dutch Fortress Museum, the museum that both the history of Naarden-Vesting as of fortifications and defenses in the Netherlands shows. In the underground bunkers you can experience how the garrison lived and worked here, the museum takes you on a boat cruise through the moat and every third Sunday of the month thunder the guns on the flanks.

This stone building has named Turfloods, but is actually too good to store peat in it. It was built in 1752 and served as a warehouse for artillery, engineers and telegraph equipment. Since 1967 it is a restaurant.

The Great Arsenal Bastion is located on Old Mill and now best known for its Lifestyle and Design Centre which is located here, an initiative of the famous designer Jan des Bouvrie. The building was originally built in 1688 as storage for military equipment, primarily as a weapon warehouse. The adjacent square was used as a ball park, where pyramid-shaped piles of cannon balls were stored. During the First World War, the Arsenal and a barracks for the ward in the hospital barracks located behind Old Mill. In the Second World War, used by Germans as a car repair shop. Until 1986 the building was used by Defence. In the middle of the front shows a picture of all 17th-century weapons that were stored in the building: guns, bullets, pikes and lances.

The Comenius Museum tells the story of the above-mentioned Jan Amos Comenius. In one section of the former convent chapel Comenius is buried so that it bears the name Mausoleum.

Part 1 and 2 of a film about Naarden in the past half century.