Excursion Fort breendonk ss transit camp tour at Antwerp

It’s barely a 45-minute drive from Antwerp pier to Fort Breendonk. But the journey carries you back some 85 years in time, to when this well-preserved historical site was better known as “The Hell of Breendonk.”

During World War II, the invading German army that arrived in Belgium found itself confronted by civil disobedience and resistance from the local population. Those who refused to cooperate were sent to prison in Breendonk, once a Belgian army base but now in Nazi hands. As the war evolved, circumstances grew far darker as the prison transformed into a transit camp used by the SS to hold prisoners for transport to Auschwitz. And four hellish years of vicious forced labor, wanton executions, and relentless cruelty commenced.

Some 3,532 unlucky souls entered this moated fortress during that period. Half of them never made it out alive – perishing under the inhuman conditions and extreme maltreatment.

For a brief time after Liberation in 1944, the Allies used Breendonk to hold Flemish collaborators who had abetted the Nazi cause. Today the preserved fort serves as a chilling record of the horrors the Nazi era once imposed across Western Europe. At the end of the two-hour visit, your guide will lead the group back to the coach for the return to Antwerp. It’s likely to be a quiet, though scenic, drive.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen include: Breendonk SS Transit Camp

Note

Please note: This moderately active excursion involves about 800 m/0.5 mi of walking over uneven and cobblestone surfaces, with some stairs. Tour coaches are not wheelchair-accessible, and all guests must be able to enter/exit the vehicle independently. Those with limited mobility should carefully consider the tour’s suitability before booking. Comfortable walking shoes and attire appropriate to the venue are suggested. Bring along your preferred sun and rain protection. A chocolate praline snack is provided on the coach. The order of sights and activities may vary.