A TINY village just a few hours from the UK is in a rather unusual shape – although for good reason.
Bourtange, in the Netherlands, was built between 1568 and 1648.
AlamyA star-shaped village in Europe is now a bizarre open-air museum[/caption]
AlamyBourtange was built more than 400 years go[/caption]
AlamyNow, just 430 people live there with tourists often visiting too[/caption]
Built during the Eighty Year’s War, it was used as a fort, and so was built in the shape of a star.
This was because the shape of it meant they could see enemies coming from any direction.
It stopped being used as a fort in 1851, becoming a normal village for locals.
However, by 1960 it had fallen into disrepair – and so became an open-air museum after being rebuilt to it’s former glory.
This includes drawbridges and canals surrounding it, as well as a school, church and mill.
There is also a cafe, bar and a pub, serving traditional Dutch food and drink.
Once a year, the village celebrates it’s most famous story in history, when the Captain Prott refused a bribe made by bishop Bernard van Galen before defending the castle again his forces.
Not only can you watch the reenactments of battles in June, but you can stay in the fortress overnight, or camp just outside.
AlamyThe star shape was due to the defence it offered for the fort, by being able to see enemies from all angles[/caption]
AlamyInside the village are bars, cafes and restaurants[/caption]
Make sure to listen out on Sundays, as they fire the cannons every afternoon.
Previous guests have raved about the strange village museum.
One person wrote: “Visiting Fort Bourtange does make for a great day trip from places like Assen or even Groningen.
“I came here early one morning before things even opened and I felt like I had the place to myself.”
Another wrote: “Fantastic place to visit whether you love history or not.
“We have visited Bourtange three times now, each time to take part in the the 30 Years War re-enactments. We love the place.”
The best way to get to Bourtange is to fly to Bremen in Germany, which takes just over an hour with Ryanair and costs £14.99.
Bremen to Bourtange is around a three hour drive, with the fortress being on the Dutch-German border.
Otherwise it’s a one hour drive from the city of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands.
Also in the Netherlands is an island loved by locals that Brits won’t have heard of.
Texel has white sandy beaches and amazing beer, as well as being home to one of the most expensive sheep in the world.
To get there, you can get the Eurostar or fly to Amsterdam, then get the ferry from Den Helder, which takes around 30 minutes.