Historic Fort Island
Historical tour
Unique history on Unesco World Heritage Fort Island IJmuiden
Fort Island IJmuiden is part of The Defense Line of Amsterdam. The Defence Line was built around 1885 to defend Amsterdam. The fort on the Fort Island is the largest of the entire Defence Line. Giant almost. Complete with domed hall, murals, labyrinth and bunkers, it is a site to feast your eyes on.
A visit to the Historic Fort Island begins with a short crossing on the MS Queen Emma. The closer you get to the island, the greater the excitement to leave the boat and explore the island.
Upon entering the island, our guides are ready to show you around and tell you all about the island. The Fort Island was built in the late 19th century by order of King Willlem III, as part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. It was also used as part of the Atlantik Wall during World War II.
Reminders of both these periods are still clearly visible on the island. For example, there is an infirmary, there are furnished bunkers and the murals give a good idea of the time in which they were made.
In 2026, it will once again be possible to visit Fort Island during open Sundays and selected Wednesdays during the summer holidays. The dates for 2026 are:
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Wednesday during the summer holidays:
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Tickets & Sailing Times
Order your tickets here!
