From the moment you arrive, you will be struck by the unique atmosphere of this museum unlike any other. Here you will discover:

• Historical treasures: Uniforms, weapons, soldiers’ letters, archive photographs and everyday objects plunge you into the lives of the men who lived, fought and sometimes died within these walls.
• Striking reconstructions: Scale models, dioramas and interactive installations let you picture the fort’s power, its technological innovations and the fighting that took place there.

Set on the heights of Liège, Fort de Loncin is far more than a simple monument: it is a journey through time, a dive into the heart of a place where History has left an indelible mark. Raised to the status of National Necropolis, listed among Wallonia’s exceptional heritage and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this impressive site combines architectural grandeur, heroic stories and breathtaking landscapes.

A Unique Site, Witness to History

Built at the end of the 19th century, Fort de Loncin is a masterpiece of military engineering. Its thick walls, underground galleries and imposing guns tell of a time when it was considered impregnable. As you visit the site, you will walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who defended Belgium in 1914, during a defining episode of the First World War.

In the heart of Fort de Loncin, hidden in the bowels of this stone giant, lies a rare and fascinating industrial treasure: its steam engine. A monster of steel and copper, witness to the mechanical genius of the age, it still breathes the spirit of innovation and power of the Industrial Revolution.

A Journey into the Technology of Yesteryear

Imagine a time when steam made the walls vibrate and when this colossal machine was the lung of the fort, powering its lighting and ventilation systems, and even its searchlights. Today it still stands, imposing and majestic, as a tribute to the engineers who designed it.

Why Is This Machine So Exceptional?

• A masterpiece of engineering: With its pistons, connecting rods and gear wheels, this machine is a perfect example of cutting-edge 19th-century technology.
• A symbol of power: It allowed the fort to operate independently, even under siege, ensuring the soldiers’ survival and the proper working of the defences.
• A historical rarity: Few steam engines of this scale and from this period can still be seen today. Loncin’s is a unique relic, carefully preserved.

A barrack room in the fort is devoted to a permanent exhibition on the tragedy of the British aircraft Halifax HR734, which crashed in the immediate vicinity of the fort on the night of 3–4 July 1943.

During a bombing mission over the city of Cologne, the aircraft was machine-gunned by a German fighter. Badly damaged and with three dead on board, it set course back to England, but shortly before Liège it became clear to the young Canadian pilot, William Preston, that he would not be able to reach his base. Three of the four survivors then parachuted out, while Preston remained alone at the controls so that the aircraft would not fall on houses and claim innocent victims. Only once the city of Liège was behind him and open countryside stretched as far as the eye could see did the young pilot parachute in his turn. Unfortunately it was too late, for the aircraft was already far too low.

The exhibition recalls this wartime event and pays tribute to the crew of the aircraft, in particular to the sacrifice of its young Canadian pilot, and beyond them to all those crews who lost their lives defending our freedoms.