Fortess City 's-Hertogenbosch Netherlands

The fortifications of 's-Hertogenbosch are a multitude of fortified monuments that were built in several stages from the 12th century onwards and were in use until the end of the 19th century. The majority of the fortifications were dismantled from 1874 onwards. The Fortification Act of War Minister August Willem Philip Weitzel allowed cities like 's-Hertogenbosch to demolish the fortifications. This was completed by 1890.

After the capture of 's-Hertogenbosch by the Protestant Netherlands (1629) under Frederik Hendrik of Orange, an entire quarter of the city was razed and the citadel was built between 1637 and 1642. It was originally named Fort Willem Maria, but was called Fort Papenbril by the city's predominantly Catholic population.
In addition to providing protection against Spanish attacks, the citadel also served to maintain control over these inhabitants.
A narrow bridge (Sortiebrug) at the Citadel City Gate provides pedestrian access to the citadel from the city centre. Partial parking is also available for visitors at the South Gate and at the Brabant Historic Information Centre located in the Citadel. Entrance to the Citadel is free of charge.

• Brabants Historic Information Centre

The historic building from 1430 now houses the Municipal Heritage Office 's-Hertogenbosch.
Originally built as St. Jacob's Church, the building has been used over the centuries as a pilgrims' hostel, coach house, cemetery, barracks and military arsenal.
An interdisciplinary and modern heritage centre is currently being built on the ground floor, inviting citizens and visitors to the city to meet, research and discover archaeological finds and historical features.

• 's-Hertogenbosch Heritage Centre
• Den Bosch Time Machine
• Heritage s´-Hertogenbosch Route App

Before the siege of the city, 9 bastions ( Bastion Baselaar, Bastion Deuteren, Bastion Grobbendonck, Hinthamerbolwerk, Muntelbolwerk, Bastion Orthenpoort , Bastion Sint-Anthonie, Bastion Sint-Marie and Bastion Vught) were built.
After the siege of 's-Hertogenbosch, the construction of the Orange bastion was completed in 1634 and the citadel "Fort Willem Maria" was built on the site of the Orthenpoort bastion. Today, 3 old bastions are still preserved. Bastions Vught, Bastion Sint-Anthonie and Bastion Baselaar,.
Bastion Oranje houses the Bastionder, an underground information centre about the military history of 's-Hertogenbosch and the national landscape of the Groene Woud.
In the Baselaar bastion there is a memorial to French soldiers. During construction work in 2011, a mass grave from the time of the siege and French occupation of the city around 1794-1795 was discovered.
A memorial on Bastion Sint-Anthonie is placed to remember the attack on October 1944 when soldiers of the Royal Welsh Fuseliers starts to liberate Den Bosch from the German occupation.

• Bastionder
• Bastion Baselaar
• Memorial Bastion Baselaar
• Bastion Sint Anthonie

The Powder House of s'-Hertogenbosch, built 1618-1620, is located not far from the Citadel. The hexagonal building with its distinctive courtyard was modelled on the old powder house of the city of Delft, which was destroyed in 1654 during the Delft Thunderclap, a gunpowder disaster. Thus the powder house of s'-Hertogenbosch is the last surviving "Kruithuis" from the time of the Spanish-Dutch War.
It had various functions over the course of time. During the Second World War it housed valuable art by Hieronimus Bosch and others. Today it is the site of the Stok - Modern Art Museum and a national monument.

• Bossche Kruithuis
• Stok - Modern Art Museum

The first city wall was built shortly after the granting of city rights. The first wall was built around the donk in the centre of the town. This donk later became the market . This crenellated enclosure wall of brick and tuff had five city gates. Three of these gates are named after the capitals of the Duchy of Brabant, the Antwerpse Poort, the Leuvense Poort and the Brusselse Poort . These were built at the expense of the named cities. In addition to these gates, there were two water gates, the Waterpoort at Herman Moerkerkplein and the Waterpoort at Sint-Geertruikerkhof .
TheAa , the Dieze and the Dommel flowed around the settlement on a sand hill . The first wall was built along these watercourses. The watercourses became the town moat. The 7.50 metre high enclosure wall was supported by arches and foundations. The first enclosure, completed by 1225, is one of the oldest masonry fortifications in the Netherlands. At several places in the townscape there are indications of where the gates were and where the wall once ran. Only the southern lock gate still exists today and is located at the Groot Ziekengasthuis . The southern Waterpoort gate was built over an arm of the Dieze.

From 1318, under Jan III of Brabant 's-Hertogenbosch, an extension of the fortifications began. The Antwerpse Poort had to give way. The Leuvense Poort and the Brusselse Poort were given a function. A total of eight gates were added. Baseldonkpoort , Boompoort , Koepoort , Molensteegpoort , Orthense Poort , Pijnappelsche Poort , Sint-Jans Poort and Vughter Poort. Around 1540 the Hinthamer Poort was built, which later became a bastion. The Aa also flowed through this gate.

During the Belgian Revolution, when Belgium was striving for independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, some temporary fortifications were built on the route Cromvoirt - Helvoirt - Esch. After Belgium's independence in 1830, these were replaced by 8 lunettes in Vught. These were spared from the demolition of the fortifications in 1874 and are now part of the landscape. The area continued to be used for military purposes. During the German occupation Kamp Vught (concentration camp 's-Hertogenbosch), a former Nazi concentration camp was built in Vught near the town of 's-Hertogenbosch. Today it is the site of the Kamp Vught National Memorial.
On the lunette barracks next to the camp, the Genie Museum with its military history exhibition welcomes visitors.
The exhibitions are billingual; Dutch and English. An audioguide for adults (Dutch, English,French and German) is included in your entrance ticket. For children over 10 years of age, there is a special audio guide tour in Dutch or English.
On the grounds of the Lünetten barracks next to the Kamp, the Geniemuseum welcomes visitors with its military history exhibition.

• Vught lunettes
• Kamp Vught National Memorial
• Geniemuseum Vught

Fort Isabella was built in 1617 during the Twelve Years' War as part of the southern defences of s'-Hertogenbosch. The Stichting Fort Isabellakazerne (Fort Isabella Barracks Foundation) really brings 400 years of history to life with its guided tours, amidst charming landscapes at the gates of s'-Hertogenbosch. Combined with a range of new activities and events, this creates a unique atmosphere where recreation, everyday life, work and education come together. Visitors and residents can enjoy a wide range of recreational, everyday, work and educational activities at this special place. Fort Isabella's special community concept brings new ideas and initiatives to life.

• Fort Isabella - Guided Tours, Museum and Events with Stichting Fort Isabellakazerne
• Fort Isabella - Countryside to fall in love with

Fort Orthen (1630) is the youngest fort of 's Hertogenbosch. Together with Fort Crevecoeur it had to defend the fortified city from the north. Today it is a studio rent space for artists and home to the Orthens archive of local history circle the Orthense Schaar.
Fort Orthen consists of a moat with forework, two hornworks, two half-bastions, a ravelin and a second moat, two batteries and a brickwork powder magazine.
Today, the Fort Crevecoeur is not in great shape. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile visiting it and soaking up the historical atmosphere.

• Fort Orthen
• Fort Crèvecoeur

Construction of the bunker in 's-Hertogenbosch began in 1966. In less than 2 years, an emergency administrative post was built on 52 x 25 m, with 248 piles, 3,300 m3 of special concrete and 297,000 kg of reinforcing steel. The bunker provides protection against conventional weapons and is NBC-capable. The provincial command post (PCBB) and the provincial government (PCCV) could act together from here in the event of an emergency. From 1970, the crisis center was ready in the bunker. For about 3 months, 70 to 80 strictly selected people could find shelter here. Some of the rooms are furnished as they were originally and can be visited during guided tours.

• Bunker Provinciehuis s´-Hertogenbosch
• Virtual tour Bunker Provinciehuis s´-Hertogenbosch