Lillo is a twin fortress with Liefkenshoek across the Scheldt river. These two fortresses were strategically located to defend Antwerp's harbour entrance.
What can be seen?
- Significant buildings from the former fortress: casemates, officer houses and the powder magazine. The latter is now a theatre.
- The Polder Museum, open only on Sunday afternoons.
- The nearby White Mill 'the unicorn'.
- Worth mentioning: Lillo is the most northern stop for the waterbus which stops at eight places on its way south to Hemiksem. A day pass can be acquired on-board to visit them all.
Since 2008, Lillo organizes an annual second-hand book sale in summer. The 2025 edition takes place on July 13 and August 10.
The twin fortresses are also part of Antwerp's 'fortress belt', a defence network of over 20 fortifications.
Visited May 2025. This is tourism off the beaten track, suitable for locals, local history enthusiasts or deep explorers of Belgium.
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ID 633 on the Belgian tourist map. See also ID 284 for the Polder Museum. Other nearby sites within easy driving range are the Fortress of Liefkenshoek (ID 54 - reachable through a toll tunnel), the re-emerging village of Doel (ID 468).
See also Jos van Aerde's website about Lillo Fortress, remnant of a former polder village.
