Historically Remarkable Portuguese Forts From Around The World

Here’s an additional list of historic forts built by Portuguese in the different parts of the world.

These historic structures are popular tiurist attractions.

Nakhal Fort – Oman

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The beautiful Nakhal Fort is a large fort in the Middle East. It is located in the Al Batinah Region of the sultanate state of Oman.

Galle Fort – Sri Lanka

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Galle Fort is a 400 year-old fort built by the Portuguese and modified in the 17th century by the Dutch. At its age, it still looks new and polished with reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.

St. Angelo Fort – India

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St. Angelo Fort is a fort in Kerala City, India. This fort that faced the Arabian Sea was built in 1505 by the first Portuguese Viceroy of India. It is also known as Kannur Fort or Kannur Kotta.

A Famosa – Malaysia

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The A Famosa is a fortress in Malacca, Malaysia. This fort is one of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. It is called Kota A Famosa in Malay which means “The Famous”. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only remaining part of the fortress still standing.

Fort Aguada – India

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Fort Aguada is a well-preserved 17th-century fort built by the Portuguese in Goa, India. It is situated along Sinquerim Beach and overlooks the Arabian Sea. It was constructed in 1612 making it almost 400 years of age.

Fortaleza de Sao Joao Baptista – Portugal

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The Fortaleza de São João Baptista is a historic fortress in Angra do Heroismo in Azores, Portugal. It is situated in the Terceira Island. It is also known as Fortaleza do Monte Brasil and Fortaleza de São Filipe.

Fort of Sao Sebastiao – Mozambique

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The Fort of São Sebastião is located on the Island of Mozambique. The construction of this fort started in 1558 and was completed in 1608. This structure is the oldest complete fort still standing in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Zaanse Schans — A Village of Windmills

Welcome to the scenic village of Zaanse Schans- where historical wooden houses and fascinating windmills remarkably capturing rural Dutch life in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Zaanse Schans – all the beauty of rural Dutch life in the 17th and 18th centuries, set in one place. A village of traditional Dutch architecture and crafts, Zaanse Schans sits on the bank of the Zaan River, north of Zaandam, in Netherlands.

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Originally a small open air museum; the town has since grown into what it is today - one of Netherlands top tourist attractions. Aside from the historical wooden houses, the town has six functioning windmills, several mini-museums, authentic shops, a wooden shoe workshop, a historic shipyard, a cheese farm, warehouses, and more.

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Visitors are privileged to see first-hand how clogs (wooden shoes) and wooden toys are made, as well as antique clocks. There is also a replica of the oldest Albert Heijn shop, where guests can buy sweets. And yes – check out the pancake restaurant.

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The authentic shops sell shipping items, cheese, clogs and endless souvenirs of both the Zaanse Schans and the Netherlands. Several cafes are open where guests can stop for drinks or refreshments. What’s more, vintage tour boats will take visitors on a river tour.

The windmills are best seen while on a river tour. Some of these windmills include:

“De Oyfar” creamery mill, built in 1622

“De Heisman” that grinds mustard meal, built in 1780

“De Zucker,” for grinding paint, built in 1781

“De Gekronde Pulenberg”which is sawing wood, built in1869

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Zaans Museum and Verkade Paviljoen

Museum of the Dutch Clock

Bakery Museum

Grocery Museum

Distillery Museum De Tweekoppige Phoenix

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Crafts:

Cheese Farm De Catharina Hoeve,

Wooden Shoe Workshop De Zaanse Schans,

Pewter Foundry De Tinkoepel

Craft Centre De Saense Lelie,

The Coopery

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Aside from the Museum Café, Zaanse Schans has only two restaurants. There is also a smaller cafe, a fried food snack bar and many gift shops. The Heerlijck Slaapen, Kalverringdijk (bed and breakfast) is the only accommodation in the village.

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Zaanse Schans is accessible by train, bus or boat from Amsterdam. However, most of the windmills, museums and other attractions can be visited for a small fee. With almost a million visitors each year, he Zaanse Schans is a must-see attraction in Netherlands.

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Villa Escudero’s Waterfall Restaurant: It’s More Fun in The Philippines!

Nature and dining all in one? Its one of a kind experience and a very memorable one. The amazing Waterfalls Restaurant in Villa Escudero Resort offers this 2-in-1 experience.

It’s more fun visiting the Philippines! Nature and dining all in one? Yes, and one place worth visiting is the amazing Waterfalls Restaurant in Villa Escudero Resort. in San Pablo City, Philippines. Sitting at the foot of the Labasin Falls in San Pablo City, Philippines, the Waterfall Restaurant offers a one of a kind experience, where diners can enjoy a meal right beside a roaring waterfall.

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Authentic Filipino cuisine fills buffet stations and handcrafted bamboo dining tables awaits hungry guests. Enjoy your sumptuous meal while fresh spring water streams through your toes.

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After lunch, guests can even press their backs for a massage against the cascading water-covered wall. This is one restaurant where “No shirt and no shoes” are allowed! Furthermore, free coconut harvesting lessons are offered on the plantation grounds.



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World’s Most Beautiful Buildings: Pont Du Gard and Maison Carree

The Romans have left us with dozens of fascinating architectural wonders. Here is 2 of them. Read and learn more about Pont Du Gard and Maison Carree.

Pont Du Gard

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Roman architectural and engineering skills were brilliantly demonstrated in their aqueducts, built to ensure that good supplies of fresh water reached their towns. Of the numerous Roman aqueducts that survive, none is more impressive than the one that carries water across the valley of the River Gard to Nimes (the Roman Nemausus) in southern France.

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The Romans’ exploitation of the structural possibilities of the arch is magnificently demonstrated in the 882ft (269m) long Pont du Gard, which is all that is left of an aqueduct, more than 15 miles (24km) long, built by Agrippa at the end of the first century BC. Three tiers of arches, built of unmortared granite masonry, make up the Pont du Gard. The aqueduct, having been lined with cement to prevent leaks, is on the uppermost tier, being about 180ft (55m) above the river. The two lower tiers each have arches that are about 65ft (20m) high, while in the uppermost tier, the arches are set 20ft (6m) high. The effect is to give a fine, unifying rhythm to the structure.



The lowest tier once carried a roadway that, until recently, was the main road to Nimes. Now it can be walked along by visitors and tourists, as can the water channel at the very top, as long as vertigo is not a problem.

Maison Carree

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Standing on a raised platform or podium, in an elegant square in the heart of Nimes, is a wonderfully preserved gem of Roman temple architecture, known as the Maison Carrée. At first glance, the rectangular building looks not unlike a typical Greek temple, with the usual six columns in the Corinthian order, across the deep front portico, supporting an elegantly carved and decorated entablature, and with a line of columns down each side.

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But the Maison Carrée is one of the most beautiful monuments that the Romans built in Gaul. By this time, the Romans had taken to extending the side and rear walls of the cells-which the Greeks set at the heart of their temples-to the outer limits of the building. On the side and rear elevations of the Maison Carree, the columns are not all free-standing but, from the fourth column to the back, are engaged with the cella wall. The effect is to provide the building, like other Roman temples, with a much larger interior space.



The American statesman Thomas Jefferson was hugely impressed by the architectural perfection of the building, when he saw it while he was his country’s ambassador to France in the 1780s. When he came to design the state capitol building in Richmond. Virginia (built between 1788 and 1798), he decided, therefore, to model it on the Maison Carrée.

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10 Notable Historical Forts From Around the World

These forts are well-known tourist attractions and most of them are many centuries-old already.

Here are more historic and remarkable forts in the world.

1.) Castillo San Felipe de Barajas – Colombia

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The Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is a fortress in Cartagena City in Colombia. This structure which is located on the Hill of San Lázaro was built by the Spanish during the colonial era. It was originally known as the Castillo de San Lázaro and its construction started in 1536 and undergone expansion in 1657. This castle, which is open to visitors, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2.) Olavinlinna – Finland

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Olavinlinna or St. Olaf’s castle is a 15th century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is considered as the world’s northernmost medieval stone fortress still standing. This fortress was founded in 1475 making it more than 500 years old.

3.) Krakow Fortress – Poland

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The Krakow Fortress or Festung Krakau is a 19th century Austro-Hungarian fortifications located in the city f Krakow. Poland. It is interconnected with the 18th century fortification called Kosciuszko Insurrection and the medieval Wawel Castle and city walls.

4.) Fort Queenscliff – Australia

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Fort Queenscliff is a fort located in Victoria City, Australia. It was constructed in 1860 as a defense at the entrance to Port Philip Bay. It played vital roles during the First and Second World War.

5.) Fortaleza Ozama – Dominican Republic

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The Fortaleza Ozama or Ozama Fortress in English is a 16th-century castle lcated in the capital of the Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo. A former Spanish colony, the fort was built by the Spanish. It is the oldest formal military construction still standing in America.

6.) Fort Santiago – Philippines

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Fort Santiago, or Moog ng Santiago in the Filipino language, is a defense fortress located in the City of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It was built during the Spanish occupation. The fort is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros. This fort was built in the 16th century and is now a popular tourist destination.

7.) Shigatse Dzong – Tibet, China

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The Shigatse Dzong is a fort located in Xigase County in the Xigase Prefecture in Tibet. This 17th century fort was destroyed completely in the 1961 Cultural Revolution but was rebuilt in 2007 at the same location, though on a smaller scale. It is also known as Samdruptse Dzong.

8.) Fort Santa Cruz – Algeria

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Fort Santa Cruz is a fort located in Oran City, Algeria. It is one of the 3 forts of Oran City and is interconnected with the two other forts by tunnels. Fort Santa Cruz was built between 1577 and 1604 by the Spaniards. The fort is located at a height of about 400 meters on Mount Murdjadjo.

9.) Fort Monostor – Hungary

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Fort Monostor, which is also referred to as Fort Sandberg, is located in Komarom City, Hingary. Construction of this fort started in 1850 and was completed in 1871. After the Second World War, the Soviets built the biggest ammunition storage in the Fortress of Monostor. Today, Fort Monostor is open to the public as a museum.

10.) Fortaleza de Sao Joao da Barra do Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

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The Fortaleza de Sao Joao da Barra do Rio de Janeiro is a 16th century star fort located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was built in 1565 and was expanded and improved in 1618. The fort was completely renovated in 1872 and it was equipped with a complement of guns, bunkers, and batteries, including fifteen Whitworth cannons. It was manned as a coastal artillery installation until 1991.

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