Fort 3

Fort 3 lies in the town of Borsbeek, in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish region in Belgium. It is situated almost directly next to the runway of Antwerp International Airport.

After Belgium gained its independence in 1830, fears of a European conflict or invasion persisted, mainly from the Netherlands or France. Because Belgium had no significant natural defenses, it was decided not to defend the entire country, but to establish a 'National Redoubt.' For strategic, political, and economic reasons, the city of Antwerp was chosen as that Redoubt.

In 1859, the Belgian government decided to defend Antwerp by constructing a new rampart around the city, called the 'Big Rampart,' based on a plan by military engineer Capt. Henri Alexis Brialmont. This rampart consisted of a 15 km-long earthen wall with 19 gates.

It also included an advanced ring of eight nearly identical brick forts. These forts, given straightforward names like Fort 1 through Fort 8, were built approximately 2.5 km outside the city, spaced about 2 km apart, to shield the city from enemy fire. Each fort covered about 30 hectares and was equipped with a central reduit, caponiers, platforms, earthen walls for artillery, and was surrounded by a wide moat.

Although building the rampart and forts was a massive and costly project, it was completed in 1864. In 1907, the rampart and forts were modernized. The rampart was dismantled in 1960. The forts are now more commonly known as the Brialmont Forts. All forts except Fort 1 still exist today.

Fort 3 was actually the first of the eight forts to be built and was constructed according to the original design, which assumed that enemies would be fought at close range. This concept quickly became outdated, prompting changes to the design of the other forts. Fort 3 also features more decorative brick and natural stone than the others. During World War II, the central redoubt and a caponier were bombed. After the war, the fort was decommissioned, with large parts demolished and half of the moat filled in. Several buildings still remain, but they are in poor condition.

Today, the fort is part of a municipal park. The remaining structures are used by various local clubs. The central redoubt is not accessible, but visitors can walk all around the former fort island. It’s a nice fort.

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