Werkendam between the Biesbosch and historic forts

Werkendam brings together historic forts and themes related to the Biesbosch. Fort Altena and Fort Steurgat are specifically associated with the town; museums, waterways and landscape art offer further points of interest. This lets you shape your trip around whether you are mainly interested in the history of fortifications, the natural and cultural history of the Biesbosch, or routes through the landscape.

Fort Altena and Fort Steurgat

Fort Altena is a historic fort in Werkendam and part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built between 1847 and 1850 and is the oldest of the four Brabant forts in this waterline. Its bombproof, round tower, built of heavy masonry, formed the core of the complex. The fort served to defend the approaches along the Rijksstraatweg from Breda to Gorinchem, as well as the Uppelse Dijk. These details also make the site interesting for visitors staying in Werkendam who are specifically looking for traces of the region’s military history.

Fort Steurgat has a different character: it is a pentagonal island fort dating from 1881–1882, on the edge of De Biesbosch National Park near Werkendam. As part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, the fort served to defend the Merwede and the Steurgat. Unlike a freely accessible attraction, it is not open to the public. However, guided tours are offered on Open Monument Day. If you would like to plan for this particular visit, check the event dates before your trip.

Museum and Biesbosch experiences

The Biesbosch MuseumEiland explores the nature, history and stories of the Biesbosch, a unique freshwater tidal area. One engaging part of the visit is the interactive Biesbosch Experience: the scale model measures 30 by 30 metres and shows polders, dikes and waterways. Its size helps you see how the different elements of the landscape fit together spatially, rather than encountering them only as separate terms.

MuseumEiland can be reached by train and bicycle. From Dordrecht Centraal station, a 10 km cycling route leads there. Another way to combine a museum visit with a trip through the waterscape is the Fluistertocht: with a museum ticket, you can travel by whisper boat through narrow streams and ditches to particularly beautiful spots in the Biesbosch. The options offer distinct ways to explore: the model reveals the landscape inside the museum, while the boat trip takes you along its narrow waterways.

Buitenmuseum de Pannekoek also presents the history of the Biesbosch, but through tangible evidence in the open air. It is free to visit and lies across the water from Biesbosch MuseumEiland. Unpaved paths lead past a catching pipe from a duck decoy, a beaver lodge and a schrankkeet. The Biesbosch’s willow-bed and reed-growing culture also comes to life through the world of former willow workers. The occupation has since died out, so the visit also draws attention to a way of working from the past.

Routes through landscape and history

The Biesbosch cycling route is 23.4 km long and passes streams, islands and overgrown willow beds as it runs through the Biesbosch. The Galeiweg cycling route has a different focus: it passes Fort Steurgat. Along the way, you can shop in Werkendam; you can end the route at Biesbosch MuseumEiland with coffee, lunch or information about the history of the Biesbosch. This makes the Galeiweg route a way to combine a fort, the town and the museum in a single itinerary, without requiring a specific stage length.

The Rondje Jantjesplaat - Deeneplaat loop is 21.8 km long if you start at Biesbosch MuseumEiland. It takes you through the older part of Jantjesplaat, an overgrown willow forest with dense wild growth. The newer part formed after flooding in the 1990s. On Deeneplaat, the focus shifts to a well-maintained cultural landscape: the eastern part consists of willow beds that have been maintained for centuries. The route thus links landscapes of different ages with a long tradition of stewardship.

Another landscape feature is the artwork De wassende maan by Paul de Kort. The labyrinth is located on the Bandijk, in the northern corner of the Noordwaard. The constructed hill beside it serves as a viewpoint. The artwork and the viewpoint offer two different highlights: the labyrinth defines the form of the landscape artwork, while the hill provides an elevated vantage point.

At Jachthaven Van Oversteeg in Werkendam, you can rent canoes, SUPs, sloops or whisper boats to explore streams and islands. Since rental options can change, it is best to check them before making plans. This lets you choose the focus of your stay, from fort history and museum visits to a trip on the water or a route through the Biesbosch landscape.

Discover more destinations: Sleeuwijk, Dussen, Nieuwendijk, Hank.

Return to the main travel overview: Werkendam.