Pampus Fort Eliand
Forteiland Pampus

Explore one of Holland’s most unique defense locations in this tiny artificial island from the 19th century, featuring a fort with cannons!

Of all 45 forts that made up the defense line of Amsterdam, Pampus Eiland is by far the most unique. Or definitely the coolest, in our opinion! It almost goes unnoticed on a map, since it’s a tiny man-made island that hangs out from the mainland. Believe it or not, it’s made up of thousands of bags of sand and took 8 whole years to make!

A Peaceful, Tiny Island

A trip out to Pampus begins across the water on a boat. That’s right, no cars or bikes here! Since it’s an island, you’ll get to sail to this unique set of Dutch land. It’s basically a tiny island with two giant gray bumps on it. Except they’re not just bumps - they’re the remains of old cannons!

Once you’ve made it onto the island, you’ll quickly realize the place is basically a giant maze. There are 3 levels in the fort where you’ll learn all about the soldiers that once stood at the defense. Some of the sites you’ll see in the fort are the good-old toilets, an old morse-code telegram, a water pulley, and a speaking tube! They’ve got a movie displaying war scene reenactments, and you’ll even hear about how the soldiers would go months on the island without hearing from anyone - kinda scary!

What’s inside the fort?

Even outside of the fort, there’s plenty of fun things to do! Try out the veggies in the Pampus garden and see how they locally sourced food on the island. Or if you’re looking for something sweeter, try the daily fresh pancakes. Head up to the roof of the fort for an incredible seaside view, or hop into the water for a swim! Plus, during summer they even throw a family festival, so it’s great for the whole household.

• Pampus for kids: Have the little ones tag along for the boat ride, and embark on a real adventure as they become museum inspectors! All they need is a pen and paper, and a great inspector's face. They’ll learn loads about Pampus. The best part? They could be in for winning prizes!
• Did you know? There’s a hidden walking path around the fort - some even say it’s haunted! Ghosts of the Dutch soldiers who once battled here.. Spooky! It’s not required, but for those who are brave enough you can go down and enter the hall! Think you can find the ghost of Pampus?
• Virtual Hot-air Balloon Experience: One of the major features of the fort is the interactive hot air simulation as you float over the island and time and space!