Fort Rammekens

Rammekens was built between 1547 and 1551 on the orders of Charles V to command the entrance to the Scheldt and protect the approach to Antwerp, and it was designed by Donato de Boni Pellizuoli in the Italian bastioned manner, which had only recently been worked out - which is the fort's claim: it is generally described as the oldest surviving sea fort in western Europe built to the new artillery-resistant design. It was taken by the rebels in 1573, held by English troops for a period as one of the cautionary towns pledged to Elizabeth I, and remained in use through the Napoleonic period and into the twentieth century, with each era adding to it. It is now a squat brick and earth structure surrounded by a moat, with casemates, gun positions and later bunkers, standing in a nature area on the shore with the Vlissingen port works nearby.

What to look for

• A fort of 1547-1551 - the oldest surviving sea fort of the Italian bastioned type here.
• Layers of later use - Napoleonic and twentieth-century additions on the same site.
• Casemates and a moat - brick and earth structure open to walk.
• A shore setting - saltmarsh and the Scheldt, with Vlissingen's works nearby.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Seasonal opening on limited days - check before travelling. Casemates are dark and damp. The surroundings are industrial in one direction. Public transport is poor.

Nearby

Vlissingen and the Scheldt shipping route are west; Middelburg is north.

Key facts