What to do · Damme
Franse forten, the French forts walk around Damme
Information
- From
- €1 route booklet
- Duration
- 4 h
- Distance
- 13.4 km
- Season
- All year
- Who it's for
- Walkers with an interest in military history
- With a dog
- On a lead, on public paths
During the War of the Spanish Succession, between 1701 and 1713, France controlled the southern Netherlands and strengthened Damme: it added a hornwork to the north of the square and built new forts to guard the canals around it. This 13.4-kilometre route passes three of them.
How to do it
It leaves from the Markt and makes a flat loop, in one direction only. It is not waymarked: you follow it with the booklet sold by the tourist office for €1.50, in Dutch only, with the map. Allow about four hours on foot.
For the 18th-century part you can't see, the Huyse de Grote Sterre, where the military governors lived, is on the same Markt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a booklet in Spanish about the Damme forts?
No: only in Dutch, although the map is enough to follow the route.
How long is the route?
13.4 km, flat and in a circuit.
With a dog
