Military buildings
Casemate(s), Herring Market, Damme
Up to 1660 the Lieve was channelled through the ramparts of the town by means of two walls. Afterwards the course of the river was led outside the town. A munition depot was built using the old walls. Other munition-depots were on both sides of the now-demolished entrance-gate of Our Lady. Bats have made their home in one of them.
Casemate(s), Kerkstraat, Damme
Next to the gate of Our Lady (disappeared), you'll find some remnants of the casemates. Within the casemates, a hiding-place for bats is arranged.
Entrance-gate of Our Lady, Damme
Archaeological remains of this 17th century construction - part of the seven-star fortifications around Damme - can be seen in the road surface.
The fortress of Damme, Damme
Hardly anything is left from the original medieval fortifications of Damme. In the 17th century they were replaced by heptagonal star-shaped ramparts. In the days of Napoleon Bonaporte, a lot of the ring canals were filled up with earth from the Damme Canal which was being dug at that time. Still the heptagonal star-shape is very well discernable, especially from the air.
Nature reserve 'Oude Stadswallen van Damme', Damme
The major part of this nature reserve, measuring 44 hectares, is situated on the old ramparts of Damme. The canals of this system for the town's defence have developed into reedland, boggy wood and meadow land. Their botanical value is unique with species such as the buckler fern and the gray-crested shield fern. In the pond behind the Schellemolen little grebes and coots brood. The adjacent vast pastures are an important stop for the migrant geese during the winter half-year. In spring the black-tailed godwit and the lapwing search for a brooding place.
The Fort of Bavaria - Fort van Beieren, Koolkerke
At the beginning of the 18th century Maximilian-Emmanuel of Bavaria, governer of the Southern or Spanish Netherlands, had a fort built in Koolkerke which was named after him. Later this bulwark lost its purpose and now it is a provincial park.
Burnt Fort - Verbrand Fort, Oostkerke
This redoubt or small defence was built during the War of the Spanish Succession in the 2nd half of 1703. The Burnt Fort was built to the north of the Romboutswerve dyke in the place where there was a sag pipe or syphon under the dyke. This allowed to flood the area to the south of the dyke and to the north of the Verse Vaart. The redoubt was of the classical type consisting of a moat, an outer wall and a defence wall. The traces of the burnt clay on the ground indicate that the wooden watchtower inside the fort was destroyed by fire.
What still remains of the fort is a square meadow with a side of 88 metres. The dyke of the Schipdonk canal offers the best view of this fort.
In the relics of the former rampart moat we find interesting marsh vegetation with amongst others common cat-tail, branched bur-reed, flowering rush and nodding bur-marigold. In the spring this biotope welcomes numerous amphibians.
The common toad as well as the brown and green frog are very common at this time of year. They go in search of shallow, stagnant water in which to lay their eggs. The small smooth newt also finds a suitable environment between the water plants.
Bron: Forts and dykes between Bruges and Damme
Fort Saint-Job, Hoeke
Along the canal, we still can see the ruins of Fort Saint Job, built here in May 1604 to defend the town of Damme.
The fort had probably not yet been completed when the troops of Maurice captured it during the siege of Sluis. After Sluis was conquered in 1604 the fort was included in the triangle of forts with Saint Frederic and Saint Donaas forts. On 4 November 1783 the Austrian troops occupied the fort from Bruges. They immediately proceeded with its destruction, at the same time as fort Saint Donaas. Today there is little left of the fort: elevations and depressions in the field are the last remains.
Bron: Forts and dykes between Bruges and Damme. Westtoer, 2007.
Fort of Saint-Donatian - Fort Sint-Donaas, Lapscheure
Until the Treaty of Munster in 1648, many fortifications were built on either side of the border which separated the Northern from the Southern Netherlands. Among those is the four-sided fort of Saint-Donatian from the beginning of the 17th century. Following the Damme Canal, you can see its remnants on the western side, still on Belgian territory.
