Fort 7

Fort 7 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.

Its earthen walls, like those of Fort 8, are taller than at the other forts. Probably, the groundwater level here is higher, which caused the moat to be dug out to a deeper level, producing more earth to build the walls. During World War II, the German army occupied the fort and built several prison cells on the second floor of the central reduit.

Currently, the fort is a nature reserve and a bat habitat. It can only be visited on special days with a guided tour. This makes the fort feel more authentic than the others and gives it much more atmosphere, though it is also in a worse state of preservation. Recommended.

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