Pyramid of Austerlitz
An earth pyramid built by bored French troops in twenty-seven days in 1804, with a stone obelisk on top.
Updated 21 October 2026
In 1804 General Auguste de Marmont had about eighteen thousand French troops camped on the Utrecht heath with nothing to do, and set them to build a monument to Napoleon in the manner of the Egyptian campaign: a stepped earth pyramid about thirty-six metres high on a sand ridge, dug and carried by hand in twenty-seven days, with a wooden obelisk on top. The camp village nearby was named Austerlitz after the battle of 1805, which is how a Dutch village came to have a Moravian name. The wooden obelisk rotted; a stone one was put up in 1894. The pyramid decayed and was restored several times, most recently in 2001-2004 and again in 2007-2008, and it is now climbable by a stair with a viewing platform over the Heuvelrug forests. There is a visitor centre and a reconstructed camp. It is the only Napoleonic monument of its kind north of the Alps.
History
In 1804 General Auguste de Marmont set up a large army camp here, and that autumn, to keep his soldiers busy, had them build an earth and turf monument inspired by the Great Pyramid of Giza, which he had seen in 1798. It took 27 days, stood 36 metres high and carried a 13-metre wooden obelisk; in 1806 Louis Bonaparte renamed it the Pyramid of Austerlitz, the wooden obelisk was taken down in 1808, and in 1894 Johannes Bernardus de Beaufort had the present stone obelisk built (Wikipedia, Pyramid of Austerlitz).
Highlights
- An earth pyramid of 1804 - about thirty-six metres, built by hand in twenty-seven days.
- A stone obelisk - the 1894 replacement for the rotted wooden original.
- A stair to the top - the viewing platform over the Heuvelrug forests.
- A village named Austerlitz - after the battle, from the camp that built the pyramid.
When to go
April to October. Two hours.
What to expect
It is one monument and a visitor centre - two hours covers it. Ticketed, seasonal, and closed on some weekdays in winter. The climb is a stair, not a path. Parking is charged.
Nearby
Huis Doorn is south; Soesterduinen and the military museum are north.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q1277901, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Pyramid of Austerlitz
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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