Citadel of Huy, Medieval fortress above Meuse River in Huy, Belgium.
The Citadel of Huy is a stone fort built on a rocky ridge above the Meuse River in the Belgian town of Huy. It sits directly over the old town and features thick walls, towers, and a network of underground passages carved into the rock.
A medieval castle stood on this site as far back as the 9th century, but it was torn down in the early 1700s. The stone fort seen today was built between 1818 and 1823, during the period of Dutch rule over what is now Belgium.
The fortress holds a museum dedicated to the political prisoners held there during the Second World War, with original cells and personal objects left behind. Walking through the site gives a direct sense of what daily life inside the prison was like.
The fort can be reached on foot via a steep stairway from the riverside, but a cable car also connects the lower town to the top for those who prefer not to climb. A visit works well in dry weather, as the paths around the site can be uneven and slippery when wet.
During the Second World War, the fort held thousands of political prisoners and became one of the largest internment camps in Belgium. After the war, it was briefly used to detain Belgian collaborators before eventually opening to the public as a memorial site.
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