Fort de la Chartreuse

Fort de la Chartreuse is a military fortification on elevated ground in Liège, built with substantial masonry and featuring the defensive design typical of early 1800s forts. The structure includes casemates, underground passages, and storage areas arranged to protect the city from attack.

Dutch engineers built the fort between 1817 and 1823 on the grounds of a former Carthusian monastery as a defensive position for Liège. The Belgian military occupied it until 1988, after which nature gradually reclaimed parts of the site.

The fort's layout and design reflect military thinking of the 1800s, with its rooms and passages showing how soldiers lived and worked in such fortifications. Visitors walking through can sense how the place was organized to defend the city.

The fort sits on a hillside with marked pathways that guide visitors through the grounds and surroundings. Public transport connections are available near the entrance, making it relatively easy to reach on foot or by bus.

American forces used the site as a temporary field hospital during World War II before departing. The decades of abandonment that followed allowed trees and plants to grow across the fortification, creating an unusual blend of military ruins and forest.