Fort Henricus, Military fort in De Heen, Netherlands
Fort Henricus is a military fortification near Steenbergen featuring five bastions surrounded by a water-filled moat. The complex includes residential buildings and functional structures arranged in a distinctive star-shaped layout.
The fort was constructed in the 1620s to protect Steenbergen harbor and played an important role during several conflicts. By the early 19th century it lost its military importance and was later converted to agricultural use.
The fort once housed soldiers and their families who formed their own small community within its walls. The layout and remaining structures show how daily military life was organized in this isolated settlement.
A marked walking path guides visitors through the site with informational signs explaining the fort's history and functions. The path is relatively flat and easy to follow, offering different views of the bastions and water-filled moat.
The fort contains a sophisticated sluice system that allowed defenders to intentionally flood surrounding fields as an additional defense strategy. This engineering technique could transform the landscape into impassable terrain when needed.
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