Benteng Belgica

Top choice in Banda Islands


A classic star fort, the Unesco-nominated Benteng Belgica was built on the hill above Benteng Nassau in 1611, when it became apparent the lower bastion was an inadequate defence. The five massive sharp-pointed bastions were expensively crafted to deflect the cannon fire of a potential English naval bombardment. The fort is open sporadically, but guesthouses can track down the key-keeper.

It caused quite a scandal in Holland when, in 1796, the Brits managed to seize the fort (albeit briefly) without firing a shot. To reach the upper ramparts (with great views), take the second arch on the left from the central courtyard. Be sure to look for the old jail, where locals were imprisoned if they dared sell their spices to the English.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Banda Islands attractions

1. Rumah Budaya

0.11 MILES

Bandaneira’s little museum displays colonial artefacts including coins, silverware, crockery, pipes, swords and flintlock pistols and muskets. There's…

2. Hatta’s House

0.11 MILES

Of three early-20th-century ‘exile houses’ in Banda, Mohammed Hatta’s house is the most appealing. It’s partly furnished and photos of the dissident, his…

3. Mesjid Hatta-Syahrir

0.12 MILES

Behind the main port are the eye-catching minarets of the Mesjid Hatta-Syahrir. Some locals claim this was converted into a mosque from the mansion that…

4. Sun Tien Kong Chinese Temple

0.14 MILES

There are still a few Chinese families living on Bandaneira and the 300-year-old Sun Tien Kong Temple is testament to the ancient Chinese involvement in…

5. Dutch Church

0.15 MILES

This restored 1852 Dutch church with a portico of four chubby columns is open for services. Inside are a decorative bell-clock and wooden pews, as well as…

6. Benteng Nassau

0.17 MILES

Quietly crumbling among tropical foliage, Nassau was the scene of the Banda Massacre, the greatest obscenity in the violent history of Dutch Banda. The…

7. Schelling House

0.2 MILES

This massive columned house, owned by the daughter of the last Banda king, has a leafy courtyard, high ceilings and, in the the master bathroom, a stone…

8. Istana Mini

0.21 MILES

This grand, atmospheric yet empty 1820s mansion gives a sense of the scale of the Dutch enterprise in the Banda Islands. Once the residence of the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "indonesia/bandaneira/attractions/benteng-belgica/a/poi-sig/1223799/1318749",
      "destination": "Banda-Islands",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Indonesia",
      "region": "Banda-Islands",
      "position": "superzone"
    }