Fort Kijkduin, Military fortress and public aquarium in Huisduinen, Netherlands.
Fort Kijkduin is a stone fortress that combines military history with marine life in one location. Historic rooms sit alongside aquarium displays showing North Sea creatures and habitats.
The fortress was built during the Napoleonic Wars to defend the coast against attack. After serving its purpose for many years, it was restored in 1996 and opened to the public.
The location displays artifacts and military equipment that show how Dutch people protected their coast over time. Items here reveal how defense methods changed across different periods.
The fortress is typically open on most days and visitors can enter without special planning. Most areas are on one level with level access, making it fairly easy to walk through all sections.
The aquarium inside the old fortress walls creates an unusual contrast between war history and peaceful marine viewing. Visitors experience two separate worlds in a building that was never designed for this combination.
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