We had given you 5 completely breathtaking sea forts… but we know you feel like admiring more of these war ghosts, so here you have another 5 forts. Ten in total (you’re welcome!):
– Trekroner Fort, Copenhagen (Denmark):
Trekroner Fort begun to be built up in 1787 to protect Copenhagen. It’s the oldest built around the Danish capital, used during battles in 1801 and 1807 against Lord Nelson‘s British fleet. The structure was reinforced during the first half of the nineteenth century, but after I World War it lost importance, and in 1984 it opened to the public for free as one more tourist attraction every Summer, as a sightseeing tour by water.
– Murud Janjira Fort, India:
Located on Janjira island, this 16-acre island-fortress was built in the fifteenth century as protection against pirates. For 300 years it was impregnable: nobody could conquer it. It has two natural freshwater deposits inside. The fort is only accessible by boat. The Murud area, where the fort is located, is famous for its beaches and fishing villages.
– Fort Boyard, France:
The first idea of the fort dates back to the seventeenth century, as a formula to protect the arsenal of Rochefort. However, for a long time it was considered as an impossible madness. It was Napoleon Bonaparte who finally ordered its construction between the Île-d’Aix and Île d’Oléron in the Pertuis d’Antioche straits, on the west of the coast of France. Paralyzed in 1813, it was resumed in 1840 and completed in 1870, the fort was done with 120 meters long and 48 wide. After 1871 was briefly used as a military prison before being definitely abandoned by the Army in 1913. In the Summer of 2001 it was the filming location for the TV gameshow of the same name. Nowadays boat tours depart to the fort from Boyardville and St Denis d’Oleron.
– Nab Tower, near the Isle of Wight:
The history of this fort takes us back to 1918, when German submarines smashed the British merchant fleet. The Admiralty then devised a plan to build eight tower-shaped forts interconnected by steel cables, with the idea of closing the Canal to enemy ships. However, at the end of the war only one was finished, near Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, which cost over a million pounds at that time. It’s 22 meters high and is used as a lighthouse, automatic since 1983. Recently, the structure is under construction to reduce to half its height (11 meters), and upgrade the facilities.
– Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida:
Fort Jefferson is a huge fortress (apparently, 16 million handmade bricks were used) built in 1847 but never finished completely. The whole area (Dry Tortugas, Florida) is truly spectacular. There are seven islands in which a rare combination of natural and historic resources is appreciated. There are perfect beaches, coral reefs and also this strange fortress -originally designed to protect these waters, strategic to the United States. Here Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned for being involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The fort was a federal possession during the Civil War, and hosted prisoners and deserters. In 1992 the monument was declared a national park in a draft law signed by George Bush.
Photos: Akshay Charegaonkar, hernhyde, Gail Baird, Französische Zentrale and Ron Yeany.
