Star Fort in Belgium - Antwerp?

These 'star forts' are remnants of the city walls in our region from the Spanish Period (15th-17th century).

Antwerp also had these, but they were absorbed (or destroyed) by subsequent urban expansion and are therefore no longer clearly visible.
https://www.staatsspaanselinies.eu/en/de-staats-spaanse-linies/list-view/linie:fortified-town-of-antwerp.htm

A more attractive example can be found near Antwerp, in Hulst. Hulst is located in the Netherlands in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, a region that borders Belgium and historically had closer ties with Ghent and Bruges than with The Hague. When Belgium gained independence in 1830, this area however remained Dutch.
http://www.starforts.com/hulst.html
https://www.zeeland.com/nl-nl/visit/235_nl/stadswallen-hulst

Another fine example, very close to the Belgian border but then in France, can be found in Rocroi.
https://www.ardennes.com/en/the-destination/the-must-see-cultural-heritage/rocroi-the-star-city-ardennes-france-heritage-fortifications/

Belgium is renowned for its citadels and forts.
You may find suitable inspiration in Dinant, Namur, or Bouillon

https://www.visitardenne.com/en/best-ardennes/iconic-sites/dinant

https://www.visitardenne.com/en/best-ardennes/iconic-sites/citadel-namur

https://www.visitardenne.com/en/best-ardennes/iconic-sites/bouillon-castle

It's probably a bit out of your way but I can also suggest Bourtange in the Netherlands, bordering on Germany. It's near to Groningen. It has been completely restored and they do regular archaeological digs there. However, people live there, and it's quite hard to find. Don't do as we did and follow the bike signs for it or you will never get there :)

Lavandula

@Lavandula
I hope you found the Bourtange Secreet ;-)

Ha ha, yes, there are German tour buses there but I think in reality the inhabitants don't really want to be found, much like other towns in the Netherlands (I am thinking of Spakenburg, which also has poor signage). Hopefully they just get a peaceful life without people like me gawking at their town : )

Lavandula

There are fortified cities all over the Netherlands. Which one is best or easiest to visit depends on where you’ll stay while here and whether or not you’ll rent a car. Naarden is beautiful, but so are Gorinchem, Bourtange, Elburg etc etc.

@Lavandula; the Bourtange Secreet refers to a specific point of interest within Bourtange, not to Bourtange itself. It’s quite an interesting site :-)

In case you stay in Bruges you can go to Damme. You can like many do rent a bike and cycle along the canal to this lovley place. It’s still fortified, however the fortifications of Sluis just across the Dutch-Belgian border are much better preserved. Comparable with those of Hulst Windyram talks about. You can also bike further to Retranchement, still fortified too.

These fortified cities were once part of the Spanish State Defense Lines in mainly the most southwestern part of the Netherlands. The military front between Spain and the Dutch Republic (in the making) during the Eighty Year War (1568 - 1648). These defense lines stretched south of the Western Scheldt estuary all the way from Antwerp to the coast near Knokke. Consisting of several hundreds of all kinds of little and larger strongholds, connected with dikes used as defense and communication lines it must have been a mind boggling massive, expensive project.

It shows the strategic significance of this area regarding the ports of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges too. Not only then, but also during the Napoleon era and certainly WW2. Much has lost, but still there are remains to find spread around the area.

https://www.zeeuwseankers.nl/en/stories/the-spanish-state-defense-lines
For more info you can use Windyram's first link too.

In that case I probably did not find the Bourtange Secreet. Is that the toilets for the soldiers? I had to google it in Dutch and even then it is not clear.

At the time I was travelling with my family and my daughter was a toddler and not very tolerant of tourism. She is in her last year of school now and nowadays makes a better travel partner than she did then ; ).

I am still amazed that we found it, but I think the location is enough that it scares most tourists off!!

Lavandula

Antwerp: I think Fort 5 Mortsel (name of the neighborhood) used to be open for a few hours on Sunday in summer. I would not be surprised to learn that it's no longer available,

lavandula - That little red box above the moat was to hide their secret weapon. :-)

@Tim
You are talking about the Brialmont forts around Antwerp: forts that were built in 1860-1864 from brick and sandstone. Seven of them survived (of the eight in total).

The fort in Mortsel is Fort 4. Fort 5 being the one in Edegem ;-) ... Fort 8 in Hoboken being in its most original state.

Antwerp was suggested in Wikipedia, but I couldn't find any that still have fortifications or are a tourist site.

I assume Wikipedia is referring to the two forts build in 1580 in the battle against the Spanish (both can be visited):

• Fort Lillo https://www.fortengordels.be/forten/fort-van-lillo
  https://maps.app.goo.gl/m9LDqVPZUTaULttC6

• Fort Liefkenshoek https://www.fortengordels.be/forten/fort-liefkenshoek
  https://maps.app.goo.gl/cQ3kWs35zMp9VMDG9

Thank you, everyone. Yes, Fort Lillo was the type of fort that I had in mind. Fort 5 Edegem does appear to be open in the park. And I think my husband showed me pictures of the Bourtange Secreet, but I don't think we'll get out that far. It has been fun looking at all of these and seeing how many forts surrounded Antwerp.

To reach Fort Lillo, as well as Fort Liefkenshoek, which is located directly opposite on the other bank of the Scheldt, simply take the waterbus from the city centre. It is a very pleasant ride across the water.
https://dewaterbus.be/en/pages/route

there was talk upthread about Bruges. If you get around there then Lille in France is very close and has a large one in decent nick.

This map from 1815 shows both Antwerp (togehter with Lillo and Liefkenshoek) and Hulst. Panning westwards you see that many villages and cities near the Western Scheldt estuary were still fortified with little fortifications in between. You can find much more across the Netherlands, most of the time near rivers and the sea.

https://www.topotijdreis.nl/kaart/1815/@73979,362811,7.33

Scrolling down the time table at the leftside of your screen you can see the fortifications of later periods like the Brialmont forts.

https://www.topotijdreis.nl/kaart/1880/@85773,357303,8.11