Fort Orange, 17th-century Dutch fort in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

Fort Orange is a stone coastal fortification in Sekondi-Takoradi with high walls and bastions that showcase early colonial-era military construction. The structure is compact and built of red brick and stone, with interior rooms that once served different purposes.

The Dutch West India Company set up a trading lodge at Sekondi in 1642. It was enlarged into a full fort in 1690, then attacked by the Ahantas in September 1694 and rebuilt as a stronger fortification by 1704. It passed to Britain in 1872 under the Anglo-Dutch treaty.

Fort Orange appears on the UNESCO World Heritage list of Forts and Castles of Ghana, and it stands beside Fort Sekondi, built by the English in 1682. The two forts face each other at Sekondi, a pairing that shows how Dutch and English trading posts competed along this stretch of coast.

The fort is easy to access and located near the city center, reachable on foot or by a short ride. The best time to visit is in the morning when light is good and temperatures are milder.

Fort Orange stands beside Fort Sekondi, built by the English in 1682, so two rival European trading forts face each other within the same town. The Dutch West India Company first ran a trading lodge here in 1642, and the site was enlarged into a full fort in 1690.