//
Village in Groningen, Netherlands
Photo: nl:Gebruiker:Bourtange, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Established during the Eighty Years' War, the fortified town of Bourtange is a charming destination in the Westerwolde region of the Northern Netherlands, right on the border with Germany. Its stunning architecture and beautifully renovated state make it one of the best surviving examples of a star fort in Europe. Although mostly unknown to international visitors from further away, German and Dutch tourists are increasingly discovering this quaint village, where it seems to the eye that little has changed since 1782. The small community that lives in and around the fort -about 430 people in total- caters to the visitors' needs by means of friendly hotels, pleasant cafés and an abundance of related activities in summer.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Located at the entrance of the fort, this is where you park your car, can buy combined entrance tickets for the museums, and get all the information you'd like about this place. It provides a short visual introduction to the history of Bourtange and can help with bookings for lodging. Here, you'll also find toilets and an ATM.
Once the soldiers barracks, this museum displays a replica of such a soldiers home, and also has a good number of artefacts found in and around the fort.
In the movie hall, a 30 minute film about the history and restoration of the fort is on repeat. It also has a scale model of the whole fort on display.
The former house of the army captain is now one of the most charming buildings within the walls and meant to give an insight in an officer's life within the fort. There's an exhibition room displaying the interior as it might have been back in the day, and the kitchen is refurbished in the same way. The house originates from 1661 and still has an original fireplace and tiled floors from those times.
Up until WWII, the Jewish synagogue was in use as a house of prayer for the Jews of Bourtange. Almost all of them were deported, however, and no more than five returned. Today, this 1842 building is nicely renovated and now serves as a museum full of pictures and objects. It's located in the Batterijenstraat.
Victoria Kaarsenmakerij
Once the administrative centre of the fort, this former staff office is now a restaurant, also equipped to receive groups. It serves a good variety of dishes, including simple soups or sandwiches but also steaks and salads for lunch. For dinner, mains are under €20 euro and come in plenty of meat, fish and veggie variants.
This is the smaller of the two places, and mostly a café. It does serve lunch, but no dinner. Don't expect anything special, but you'll get good enough food for a fair price.
The fort's lodging consist of 12 rooms, divided over the former soldiers' barracks and the former carriage house. Some have traditional Dutch "closet-beds", although they have been adapted to fit modern day sized and comfort requirements. The reception is in the information centre at the entrance of the fort and closes at 17:00. The rooms have free Wi-Fi.
Just a few minutes walk from the fort entrance, this is a friendly and charming camp site. There's a simple playground for children.
About 3 km from the fort itself, this farm house on the road to Vlagtwedde has been turned into a nice countryside hotel. It has clean, pleasant rooms, most with private bathrooms. Budget rooms have shared bathrooms. There's a garden and the hotel rents out bikes for €7.50 per day.
Another redecorated farm house, this one provides group accommodation and hotel rooms. At the edge of the property, this place also has five special hotel rooms, or rather tiny separate houses with private bathrooms but without kitchens. Those "Restinn" rooms offer extra privacy but can fit only 2 people.
The N365 is the only major road into Bourtange. It doesn't directly lead to any significant other towns, but connects to several other provincial roads, making the village quite well-reachable.
Read in the guideEverything you're in Bourtange for, lies within the walls of the fort. It's charmingly small, and the only real way to get around is on foot. You can park your car at the entrance of the fort.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Groningen · International · GRQ
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Bourtange and Netherlands.
Travel tipsUnderstand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Travel tipsEstimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
7 min read
Travel tipsUnderstand the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the €20 ETIAS travel authorisation, who needs each, and how to avoid long airport border queues.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.