A stay combining Biesbosch culture and fort history can be planned around Werkendam in a variety of ways: at a museum, on the water, along historic sites or on a cycling route. The options also differ in what you should plan ahead for: Fort Steurgat is not open to the public, while guided tours are offered during Open Monumentendag.
Museum, boat trip and open-air culture
The Biesbosch MuseumEiland is dedicated to the nature, history and stories of the Biesbosch, a unique freshwater tidal area. Its interactive “Biesbosch experience” brings its polders, dikes and waterways to life in a scale model measuring 30 by 30 metres. The MuseumEiland is accessible by train and bicycle; a 10-kilometre cycling route leads there from Dordrecht Centraal station.
With a museum ticket, you can combine your visit with a trip on a whisper boat. The whisper-boat tour takes you through narrow streams and ditches to some of the most beautiful spots in the Biesbosch. Another option is Jachthaven Van Oversteeg in Werkendam: you can rent canoes, SUPs, sloops or whisper boats there to explore streams and islands. Rental options may change; check availability in advance.
On the other side of the water, opposite the Biesbosch MuseumEiland, lies the free open-air museum Buitenmuseum de Pannekoek. Its unpaved paths lead to a duck decoy’s catching pipe, a beaver lodge and a “Schrankkeet”. The Biesbosch’s willow-coppice and reed culture is also brought to life there through the world of former willow cutters. This profession has died out, turning the focus to a working world of the past.
Fort history in Werkendam
Fort Altena is located in Werkendam and is part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was built between 1847 and 1850 and is the oldest of the four Brabant forts in this line. Its core was a round, bombproof tower made of heavy masonry. The site served to defend the approaches to the Rijksstraatweg from Breda to Gorinchem and to the Uppelse Dijk.
Fort Steurgat offers a different perspective: the historic, pentagonal fort island was built in 1881 and 1882 on the edge of De Biesbosch National Park near Werkendam. As part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, it was intended to defend the Merwede and the Steurgat. Access is restricted; guided tours are offered during Open Monumentendag. If you are planning to attend, check the current event dates.
Routes and scenery in the Biesbosch
The Fietsroute Biesbosch is 23.4 kilometres long and passes streams, islands and overgrown willow groves. The Fietsroute Galeiweg offers some additional landmarks: the route passes Fort Steurgat, offers the chance to shop in Werkendam and can end at the Biesbosch MuseumEiland, where you can enjoy coffee or lunch or find out about the history of the Biesbosch.
The “Rondje Jantjesplaat - Deeneplaat” loop is 21.8 kilometres long if you start at the Biesbosch MuseumEiland. It passes through the older part of the Jantjesplaat, an overgrown willow forest with dense, wild vegetation. The newer part formed after flooding in the 1990s. Willow groves that have been tended for centuries lie in the eastern part of the Deeneplaat.
“De wassende maan” also offers a distinctive view of the landscape: this land-art installation by Paul de Kort lies along the Bandijk in the northern corner of the Noordwaard and is designed as a labyrinth. The constructed mound serves as a viewpoint.
Find a hotel to suit your interests
When looking for a hotel in Werkendam, you can choose the main focus of your stay: the museum and whisper-boat tour, fort history or a cycling route through the Biesbosch landscape. The routes mentioned differ in length and course; Fort Steurgat has its own access conditions.
Discover more destinations: Hank, Nieuwendijk, Sleeuwijk, Dussen
Return to the main travel overview: Werkendam.
