Fortress of Bavaria - Bruges

The Fort of Bavaria is Flanders' best preserved fortress from the War of the Spanish Succession. It was founded around 1705 by the French troops.

As a designer, Vauban is sometimes mentioned. But it's more likely that the design was by one of his collaborators

Five French battalions were housed in the fortress, which had to defend the city of Bruges against attacks from the Northern Netherlands .

The fortress was never attacked and after 1706, when Flanders was occupied by the English and the Dutch, it was of no use.

The earthen fortress, whose contours have been well preserved to this day, has a square ground plan. Around the central central square is an earthen wall with four bastions , around it a moat with a ravelin (outer fortress), and finally a second earthen wall and an outer moat.

Next to it was a small castle , which was damaged to such an extent during the Second World War that it had to be demolished afterwards. Only an entrance gate, an outbuilding, an ice cellar and a walled garden remain of the castle.

Today this is a provincial domain , open to the public.

Willem Vandenameele