Boat Trip to the Fortress Island of Pampus

Pampus is an artificial island in the middle of the IJmeer, a few kilometres from Muiden, with a fort from the late 19th century that was part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, the 135-kilometre ring of forts and dykes that defended the city by flooding the countryside, now a World Heritage Site. Before the fort, the Pampus sandbank was where the East Indiamen laden with spices anchored, too heavy to enter the harbour. Today you arrive by boat and walk the fort's corridors and cannons, on an island that supplies its own energy and has its own vegetable garden.

When and how to go

The boat leaves from Muiden, at the foot of the castle, and from Amsterdam-IJburg. The visiting season runs from spring to autumn; tickets for 2027 were not yet on sale in November 2026, so check their website in winter. From November to March there are only evening dinners, called Winterlicht, with the crossing included. Allow half a day for the boat and the visit.