Fort 4 - Mortsel

What can you do there?

FORT 4 is first and foremost a park area where you can walk and cycle to your heart's content. Children can play in the playground on the edge of the area or on the toys of the play ribbon with ao. a water feature and an obstacle course. The domain is permanently accessible, but the inner area is only open within certain hours.

In addition to shelter and picnic tables, you can also find sanitary facilities in the event shelter. Under this shelter, activities are organized during the summer such as a flea market, open-air films and comedy evenings. On the first Sunday of September, the family and theatre festival FortBom takes place. More information about the activities can be found on the website: www.ccmortsel.be . Furthermore, you can also go under the shelter for a drink in the temporary summer or winter bar.

From April to September, guided tours can take part in guided tours every Sunday without registration. From October to March, these tours take place every 3rd Sunday of the month. The tours start at 14:00 and last about 2 hours. At other times you can request a tour via ccmortsel@mortsel.be.

Cyclists can discover the fort together with the other Brialmont forts via the Brialmont route or set up a route themselves thanks to the cycling junctions. Fort 4 Mortsel is located at junction 8.

Nature

This fort is located outside the Natura 2000 guidelines, but a forest management plan has been drawn up.

Do you want to know more about the fauna and flora that reside in the fort and the way they are protected? Then click here.

History

Like the other Brialmont forts, Fort 4 was built in 1860-1864 from brick with sandstone decorations. As originally intended, the main front building is largely invisible. While the other forts were already sold to the municipalities in the 1970s, Fort 4 remained the property of the Ministry of Defence until 2000. It was used for the artillery school. The fort was restored by the Ministry of Defense, but even now a lot of restoration work is still happening: the fort is protected as a monument. It is striking that the pick-up mechanism and one of the chain wheels of the bridge is still present.

For a more extensive overview of the history of Fort 4 Mortsel you can go here.

The fort today

The domain is today recognized as a park area. On the edge of the domain, local government Mortsel is building a new swimming pooltogether with its partners.

Nearby

Also in the municipalities of Kontich, Hove, Boechout, Lint, Borsbeek, Edegem, Aartselaar, city of Mortsel and district Wilrijk you can enjoy beautiful green spots. Do you feel like walking to admire the various forts? Then be sure to use the hiking map of the walking area 'Landschapspark Zuidrand'. The hiking maps are for sale for 5 euros at all municipalities of the Zuidrand Landscape Park.

The Krijgsbaan connects all the forts with each other: in the north you will find Fort 3 Borsbeek and in the west Fort 5 Edegem.

Accessibility

The domain of FORT 4 is car-free but by bike or on foot you can enter the domain via Krijgsbaan 212, Fortstraat or Neerhoevelaan. Cars park in the underground parking "Town Square. The car park is accessible via Krijgsbaan (R11) and then Fortstraat or via Liersesteenweg (N10). The Fortstraat entrance is a 5-minute walk from the car park and the train station of Mortsel-oude God.

By bike: via the bicycle-o-strade Antwerp – Mechelen.

Public Transport:
The fort is within walking distance of the train station of Mortsel-oude God.
Tram and bus stop: Mortsel Station Oude-God

Motorists and cyclists: via the Krijgsbaan (R11) and the Liersesteenweg (N10). Access to the car park near the Krijgsbaan is via the Fortstraat and via the Neerhoevelaan.

Digital Height Model

Since 2015, the new Digital Altitude Model Flanders II is available. This is a map with detailed data about the height differences in Flanders.

A study by Ghent University, commissioned by the province of Antwerp, discovered very interesting new data about the military heritage around Antwerp on the basis of this material. It turns out that there are still trenches on and between the forts in various places. These trenches are clearly recognizable on the maps of the height model.

The images below show an aerial photograph of the fort next to an image of the elevation model.