Fort Werk IV

Bussum

Fort Werk IV
Dr Abraham Kuyperlaan 1A
1402 SB Bussum

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For centuries, the Dutch Waterline protected the west of our country against an enemy attack…

For centuries, the Dutch Waterline protected the west of our country against an enemy attack. Around 1870, a line of five forts was constructed 2.5 km in front of the Naarden fortress. This became part of the New Dutch Waterline. Fort Werk IV is the last surviving of the five original works. It is built on the highest point of the Bussummer Eng. Fort Werk IV has a 'dry moat' with a wall with embrasures as a physical obstacle. This crenelated wall is unique in the Netherlands and one of the main reasons that the fort is a national monument. Fort Werk IV has been completely restored to its former glory and is managed by the Fort Werk IV Foundation.

The defenders were able to get behind the wall undetected through a corridor, the postern, which runs through the center of the fortress and has a door on either side just behind the wall. The poster itself is almost 33 meters long and now a wonderful place for dinners, receptions, and exhibitions.

The normal garrison was housed in the two casemates in the flanks of the fort. To the right were two crew rooms and the kitchen and to the left a room for the officers and the powder magazine. The casemates on the right are now used as a cooking studio and meeting room.

The building in the forecourt is the artillery shed. In peacetime, this housed the eight cannons, which were placed in a position to defend the fort. The warehouse is now used as a location for dinners, receptions, and various meetings.