Fort Amsterdam is located at Abandze, near Saltpond in the Central Region of Ghana, and is one of the oldest European-built structures along the coast.

Originally built in 1598 by English merchants, it was first known as Fort Cormantin (or Fort Coromantee). It was among the earliest English settlements on the Gold Coast. In 1638, the Dutch captured it and renamed it Fort Amsterdam, making it the first fort built and occupied by the Dutch on the Gold Coast.

The fort played a central role in the gold, trade, and later the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Its dungeons, particularly one large cell used to hold enslaved women, still stand as a painful reminder of the atrocities of slavery.

The fort changed hands several times the English recaptured it in 1665, then lost it again to the Dutch before it finally became a British possession in 1850 along with other Dutch holdings.

By the late 19th century, it fell into ruin but was later restored. Today, Fort Amsterdam stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a key tourist attraction, symbolizing the struggles and resilience of the people of Ghana.