Brittenburg, Roman military granary in Katwijk, Netherlands
Brittenburg was a Roman military fortress at the mouth of the Rhine River near Katwijk in the Netherlands, built with stone walls and round towers. The structure served as a strategic outpost controlling river and coastal access in the province of Germania Inferior.
The fortress was founded during the Roman period as an important outpost on the empire's northern frontier. Over time, erosion and storms gradually destroyed the structure until it eventually sank beneath the sea.
Fishermen from Katwijk traditionally called the submerged ruins the tower of Kalla, keeping memories of this ancient structure alive through local storytelling. The name shows how deeply this place was woven into the community's identity and daily life.
The ruins lie roughly one kilometer west of the European Space Research and Technology Centre and are now submerged beneath the North Sea. They can only be explored through snorkeling or diving when conditions permit.
The square inner structure suggests the building functioned as a lighthouse reaching about 60 meters high. This height allowed ships from far away to spot it and use it for guidance at the dangerous Rhine mouth.
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