Telephone: no telephone
Website: http://www.fort-eben-emael.be
Shop: shop present
Restaurant/refreshments: restaurant
Size of the museum/site: large
Year of visit: 2002
Overall rating:
Description: Located just south of Maastricht in Belgian territory, the Fortress Eben Emael formed the northern most part of the defence line running along the German border.
This site has seen some ferocious fighting, marking the start of the Second World War in Western Europe. During a brief period of time the German Fallschirmjäger knocked out the main gun positions and casemates, successfully capturing the vast defence structure once deemed invincible.
When visiting Eben Emael, you will first be shown an inspired presentation dealing with the German assault on the fortress, accompanied by slides and maps. After that a guide will take you to several interesting parts of the building, including casemates, gun positions and machinegun nests, which takes about 2 hours. You can explore a small part of the fortress on your own, including the overground parts, boasting a great view over the Albert Canal amongst other things.
If you want to visit the fortress, keep in mind that it is only open to the public one weekend a month from March to November (reservations are not necessary). For more information about the precise dates check out the museum's website.
