Fort De Hel - Willemstad

Fort De Hel is a small historical defence work from the Napoleonic era, built into the Helsedijk near Willemstad. The fort was built by the French in 1811 under the name Fort l'Enfer, the French word for ‘hell’. When the French left in 1813, the Dutch took over the fort and it was renamed Fort De Hel.

Originally, it housed 14 soldiers and could store 9,500 kg of gunpowder. In the late 19th century, it was modernised and given a military capacity of 118 soldiers. It served in support of nearby Fort Sabina Henrica. Its armoury consisted of six guns, four mortars, two machine guns and four Coehoorn mortars.

During World War II, it was occupied by the Germans, after which the British liberated it in 1944.

The fort is one of three remaining ‘Tour modèle’ forts in the Netherlands, a design style from the Napoleonic era. This unique architecture gives the structure a recognisable appearance. The fortification is one of the best-preserved military structures in the region and remains an important cultural heritage.