Citadel of Huy



The Fort of Huy (Fort de Huy) or the Citadel of Huy (Citadelle de Huy), known locally as The Castle (Li Tchestia), is a fortress located in Huy in the Province of Liège, Belgium. The fort occupies a high position in the town, overlooking the strategic Meuse river. The site of the citadel has been fortified since the ninth century, and various structures have been built on the site. The current fort dates to the period of Dutch occupation in 1818 and took five years to build.

The Citadel was frequently used to house political prisoners. In the 19th century, members of the revolutionary Belgian Legion were imprisoned in 1848 after their attempted invasion of Belgium at Risquons-Tout. During the German occupation of Belgium in World War II, six thousand Belgian political prisoners, including the Communist Julien Lahaut, were held at the citadel and many were later sent to concentration camps in Germany.

Together with the nearby Citadels of Dinant and Namur, the Citadel of Huy forms part of the so-called Mosane Citadels.