Ships from all over the world sail by, the port of IJmuiden is at full speed and the north pier of Wijk aan Zee shines in the sun. This stunning view is only an half hour away from Amsterdam. The capital city is just around the corner. And that’s for a reason.

Fort IJmuiden has been built between 1881 and 1888. With three floors, 72 classrooms and a largely underground corridor system of 585 metres, the fort is the largest in the “Stelling van Amsterdam” (Defence Line of Amsterdam).

On the seaward side, the fort had a panser gallery with five heavy guns, and two lighter guns were set up in an armoured turret on the land side. The domed hall with murals, the large bunkers and the mysterious labyrinth form the backdrop of the Fortdiscovery.

During the German occupation in the Second World War, Fort Island became an important support point in the ‘Atlantic Wall‘ within the ‘Festung IJmuiden‘. Since 1996, the fort has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Sea Lock IJmuiden is located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal with a view of Fort Island. The lock is 500 metres long, 70 metres wide and 18 metres deep. This makes the IJmuiden sea lock the largest sea lock in the world. The lock was opened on 26 January 2022 by His Majesty King Willem–Alexander.