Fort Gross Friedrichsburg

Gross Friedrichsburg was built from 1683 by the Brandenburg African Company, the trading venture of the Elector of Brandenburg, making it the only fort on this coast founded by a German state, and it stands on a hill above the village now called Princes Town, a name taken from the African princes sent to Berlin in the period. Brandenburg withdrew and sold its holdings to the Dutch in 1717, though a local chief named John Conny held the fort against the transfer for several years, an episode still recounted locally. The Dutch renamed it Fort Hollandia and it later passed to Britain. The structure survives with walls, bastions and rooms, some in use as basic guest accommodation, and it is part of the World Heritage inscription.

What you actually see

• The hilltop fort - the Brandenburg structure above Princes Town.
• Bastions and walls - the surviving defensive works.
• Interior rooms - the chambers around the courtyard, some now lodging.
• The village and shore - the fishing settlement and coast below.

When to go

November to March in the dry season; the road out to Princes Town is difficult after rain. Mornings are cooler. Guides are found at the fort.

Honest expectations

The access road is rough and can be impassable in the wet season. Conservation is limited and parts of the fort are decayed. Accommodation offered inside is very basic. Fees are informal and negotiated on arrival.

Nearby

Axim lies east; Cape Three Points is west along the coast.