Fort bij Vechten (Waterline Museum)
Fort bij Vechten / Waterliniemuseum
The largest fort on the New Dutch Waterline, now the Waterline Museum, telling the story of the World Heritage flood-defence line.
Fort bij Vechten lies in Bennekom, southeast of Utrecht, and is the largest fort on the 19th-century New Dutch Waterline. The line halted enemy advances by deliberately flooding low-lying land, and in 2021 it was inscribed on the World Heritage List as the Dutch Water Defence Lines. The Waterline Museum inside the fort uses interactive exhibits and large models to show how flood defence works, and visitors can climb the fort's earthen ramparts for views over the surrounding polders. There are Roman-period camp remains nearby. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is about a dozen or so euros. It is about a 30-minute cycle from the city and can be combined with a cycling route to the Amerongen estate.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 10 am–5 pm (check the official website)
Nearby sights
- Amelisweerd
- Utrecht University Botanic Gardens
- Rietveld Schröder House
- Dutch Railway Museum
- Centraal Museum
- Miffy Museum
- Nieuwegracht
- Museum Catharijneconvent