Fort Rammekens

 fortification, interesting place

Fort Rammekens is a former Seafort from the 16th century at the Schelde estuary. It is situated in the east of Vlissingen, close to the village Ritthem in the Dutch province of Zeeland.
History
Fort Rammekens was built in 1547 by Maria of Hungary, who ruled the Netherlands at this time for Charles V, making it the oldest seafortress of western Europe. The designer was the italian Donati di Boni. The goal of the fortress was to protect the sea entrances of Middelburg and Antwerp, two very important harbours at the time.
The sea fortress is located in Ritthem, between Vlissingen and the new harbour of Vlissingen in the south west of the Netherlands.
After the fortress lost its military purpose it was used by the VOC as a hotel, hospital and storage facility. It regained a military purpose when Napeleon extensively refurbished the fortress. After Napoleon the fortress was not really used anymore.
The woods and the waters near the fortress were created when the Allied Forces bombed the dykes near the fort to flood Walcheren
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