Fort Lillo

Watch the sea roll by at this 400+ years old fort & village that’s packed with character. Bring the kids for a fun day out or travel alone to explore this place many guides won’t even mention

Fort Lillio is one of the oldest forts around Antwerp. It dates back to 1580, but still looks awesome for its age. You also won’t see another fort like it around Antwerp. Plus, Fort Lillo is the only fort in Belgium to have a literal village inside it.

Pay a visit to the village and spend about an hour strolling around to see everything at Fort van Lillio. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset by the sea or get a bit outside the big city for a picnic or café lunch.

If you didn’t already know, Antwerp was a major port trade centre. Because of that, the fort’s been through a lot since everyone wanted control of it. Fort Lillo has made it through 400 years+ of drama, so go and check out this historic yet picturesque fort.

• Unique! t’s the only fort with houses in it. Yeah, there was actually a little Flemish style village of about 30 people
• Bringing the kids? Go to the puppet theatre in the powder magazine and the playground inside the fort
• Fun fact: Kid’s show Mega Mindy’s police station is in the Lillo Fort village. It’s a dose of nostalgia for Flemish visitors
• Check out the windmill by the village! De Eenhoorn (The Unicorn) windmill was built in the 1700s. Look up and see the cute unicorn weathervane on the very top
• Take a quick visit to the Poldermuseum visit afterwards to get the full story on the fort and little village
• Combine with a visit to Fort Liefkenshoe. You can also see Doel village and the nuclear power plant across the river