Ooltgensplaat: Fort, Town Hall and Birdwatching

Ooltgensplaat offers several starting points for planning your trip: the history of the fort, historic architecture, a walking route, birdwatching and waterways. If you are looking for a hotel in Ooltgensplaat, you can consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay. The arrangements for visits and activities vary: the fort has opening hours or requires a booked guided tour, and the walking route can be shortened if needed.

Fort Prins Frederik and its history

The gun tower at Fort Prins Frederik is the largest of the three surviving towers from the French period in the Netherlands. The square, brick tower has a platform for cannons and gun ports, and was built shortly after 1811. Its design reveals several specific features of the historic fortification: its square layout, brickwork and platform intended for artillery. These details make the tower a notable point of interest for anyone interested in architectural history during a visit.

Visit Fort Prins Frederik during opening hours or as part of a booked guided tour. There is no fixed schedule of opening hours, so plan your fort visit according to the visiting arrangements in effect at the time. This means that a visit is subject to the designated opening times or a guided tour, rather than assuming you can enter spontaneously.

Town hall, walking route and buildings

Ooltgensplaat Town Hall is a building in the Dutch Renaissance style, constructed in 1617–1618. When it is open, you can attend talks and view exhibitions there. The town hall is also the starting point for the Tussen Fort en Kreek walking route. The route is 13.9 kilometres long and can be shortened if needed. This distinguishes a visit focused on the historic building from a walk with a specified distance.

Another building is the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk at Voorstraat 52. The church is a simple hall church dating from 1847; its described features include a plastered tower and a Neoclassical portal with pilasters. Together with the town hall and the gun tower, it offers another perspective on different architectural forms and periods. If architecture is your main interest, you can consider these features individually rather than reducing the buildings to a single style.

Kunstkruimelroute and the memory of 1953

The Weeghuisje is the endpoint of the Kunstkruimelroute. The Kunstkruimels are spread throughout Ooltgensplaat and indicate the water level during the 1953 North Sea flood. The route thus connects its endpoint with small markers distributed around the village, all relating to a specific historic event. This sets it apart from Tussen Fort en Kreek: the Kunstkruimels and the 1953 water level are the focus of one route, while the town hall starting point and the 13.9-kilometre distance are the specific reference points for the other.

Birdwatching and waterways

There are four birdwatching huts along the Vogelboulevard Hellegat-Ventjager. One of them, Visarend, offers views over the Haringvliet. If you want to watch birds, you can consider this separately from the buildings and walking routes: here, the huts and the view over the Haringvliet take centre stage. The information lists four observation points and specifically highlights Visarend for its view.

The Ooltgensplaat harbour canal is 1.3 kilometres long and leads to the Volkerak. During the summer months, you can take the Waterpoort ferry across the Volkerak near Fort Prins Frederik. The ferry service is seasonal; check the timetable before you travel. The two waterways can therefore be distinguished: the canal is described by its length and destination at the Volkerak, while the ferry provides a crossing over the Volkerak during the summer months.

Discover more destinations: Oude-Tonge.

Go to the overview of the wider area: Oostflakkee.