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General terms and conditions applicable when visiting the Fort of Eben-Emael
Version 27 September 2024
Article 1
Purchasing entrance tickets and/or entering the fort, operated by Fort Eben-Emael, a non-profit association with registered office at Rue du Fort 40, 4690 Bassenge, and with company number 0433.501.512 (hereinafter: the “Fort”), implies acceptance of these general terms and conditions, which can also be consulted via https://fort-eben-emael.be/general-terms/ as well as via the QR codes present in the fort.
These general terms and conditions may be amended at any time. In the event of amendment, the most current version of the general terms and conditions will be applied on the website www.fort-eben-emael.be.
The visitor declares that he/she has been able to take note of the general terms and conditions prior to the visit and is deemed to have read the general terms and conditions, to be aware of them and to comply with them.
Article 2 - Definitions
In these terms and conditions, the terms below have the meanings as set out below.
- 'vzw Fort Eben-Emael': the organisation that manages and operates the fort.
- 'the Fort': all publicly accessible areas that fall under the legal or management authority of the management of the non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael.
- 'Visitor': anyone who enters the Fort in any way and at any time, with the exception of the management, employees, guides, volunteers and any external partners of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. This includes, but is not limited to: natural persons, groups, school groups, organisations and companies.
Article 3 - Code of Conduct
The Fort is a memorial, where in 1940 we fought for our freedom. Visitors should behave and dress respectfully and respect the memory of the fallen soldiers.
The Visitor must behave in accordance with the applicable rules of good morals and decency. The Visitor who refuses to comply with the reasonable instructions of the employees of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael or with the provisions of these general terms and conditions and/or the Visitor who causes a nuisance and/or the Visitor who disrupts the safety/dignity/health/peace of other Visitors and/or employees of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael and/or causes damage to the Fort, will be asked to leave the Fort without any right to compensation. If necessary, the vzw Fort Eben-Emael will call in the police services. Any additional costs of such an intervention will be recovered in full from the Visitor in question.
Children/young people under the age of 14 must, unless prior written permission has been obtained from the vzw Fort Eben-Emael, always be accompanied by a person over the age of 18. Parents, teachers and supervisors are responsible and liable for the behaviour of the children/young people they are supervising. This implies that supervisors must play an active role in monitoring and directing the behaviour of the children/young people. Group supervisors and organisers of group visits are responsible for the behaviour of their group members.
If one or more persons in a group misbehave, the visit or tour can be stopped at any time and without any form of refund and/or compensation.
Smoking, vaping or steaming and/or bringing alcoholic beverages and/or drugs into the Fort are prohibited at all times.
The non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael reserves the right to refuse access to the Fort to persons (apparently) under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, without any right to compensation.
Bringing weapons into the Fort, also by extras, re-enactors, etc., is only permitted as an exceptional measure and with prior written permission from the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. Weapons include: replica weapons, collection weapons, blank firing weapons, demilitarized or neutralized weapons.
Eating and drinking is only permitted in the designated areas of the Fort.
Article 4 - Safety and damage
To the extent permitted by law, the Visitor agrees that vzw Fort Eben-Emael is not liable for any damage of any nature whatsoever to property and/or persons as a result of the conduct of Visitors when this deviates from the instructions given by the employees of vzw Fort Eben-Emael and/or as a result of failure to comply with these general terms and conditions.
The liability of vzw Fort Eben-Emael is in any case limited to compensation for proven, direct, foreseeable damage and will be limited to the amount reimbursed by the insurance.
This limitation does not affect the legal liability of vzw Fort Eben-Emael for bodily harm, intent or fraud by vzw Fort Eben-Emael.
It is prohibited to bring objects into the Fort that could endanger the safety and/or health of other Visitors, employees and/or the Fort and/or cause damage. The reception staff of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael are authorized to judge whether an object is allowed or not and reserve the right to (temporarily) confiscate prohibited objects.
For security reasons, the reception staff of the non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael may ask the Visitor to open bags and show the contents.
There are lockers where every Visitor can leave personal items such as clothing, luggage, umbrellas, backpacks, etc. free of charge for the duration of his visit. The lockers are accessible during opening hours. Depositing objects in these lockers is the sole responsibility of the Visitor. All objects left in a locker by a Visitor after the Fort has closed are considered lost and found. The lockers are not guarded and the vzw Fort Eben-Emael is not liable for any loss, damage or theft of the contents of the lockers.
The Visitor acknowledges that the Fort's heritage is fragile and has great historical value. Each Visitor shall refrain from vandalism or from performing any action that damages or changes the heritage or endangers safety. Any abnormal event must be reported immediately to an employee of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. In the event of damage to the Fort's heritage, the Visitor will be denied access to the Fort and, in addition, the Visitor will be obliged to pay full compensation for the damage suffered as well as the additional costs that must be incurred by vzw Fort Eben-Emael.
The non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael disclaims all liability for damage to or theft of vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles in its car park or attached to the bicycle sheds.
The vzw Fort Eben-Emael is in no way liable for any indirect or consequential damage.
Article 5 - Clothing
The underground barracks and the museum of the Fort are heated. The corridors on the mezzanine floor are kept at a constant temperature of 11° C. To visit some parts of the Fort, stairs must be used. We advise the Visitor to bring a sweater or jacket and to wear closed shoes.
Active military personnel in military uniform only have access to the Fort after prior permission from the management of the non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael.
Extras, re-enactors and persons in military or military replica clothing only have access to the Fort after prior permission from the management of the non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael.
The vzw Fort Eben-Emael reserves the right to refuse access to the Fort to persons wearing offensive or inappropriate clothing and/or external markings that may be offensive, hurtful and/or inappropriate (such as carnival clothing, fancy dress or certain political symbols), without any right to a refund of tickets.
Article 6 - Accessibility
The underground barracks and the Fort museum are fully accessible. Some guided tours are possible with a wheelchair, but require the assistance of a second person. The Visitor will have to provide such assistance. More information for each type of visit on our website www.fort-eben-emael.be.
Visiting an artillery casemate, a bunker or an artillery dome is not possible with a wheelchair and is not recommended for people with reduced mobility, people with claustrophobia and/or people with heart problems. The Visitor is responsible for assessing his/her physical suitability to visit (certain parts of) the Fort and accepts the risk associated with the visit.
An adapted toilet is available. The key for this sanitary space must be collected at the reception of the Fort.
Article 7 - Image recordings
The Visitor acknowledges and accepts that he may be filmed by the security cameras that are installed on site for safety reasons. vzw Fort Eben-Emael stores these images for a maximum of one month unless they are to be used for legal proceedings and/or as evidence of a crime.
During visits, images may also be taken of the Visitors that will subsequently be used for promotional purposes and publication. The Visitor may object to this by indicating that he does not wish to be photographed or that the photos in which the Visitor is recognizable may not be published.
The non-profit organisation Fort Eben-Emael is not liable for recordings made by third parties.
Image and sound recordings for private use by the Visitor are permitted, provided that other Visitors are not disturbed.
Image and sound recordings for professional or commercial purposes are only permitted with the prior written consent of the management of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. A request for professional recordings must be submitted well in advance to press@fort-eben-emael.be. The recordings must be in line with the history and/or heritage of the Fort. Recordings that do not fit in with this theme or that are purely for entertainment purposes are in principle not permitted.
Article 8 – Dogs
Dogs are welcome, under the strict conditions that: (i) an adult Visitor keeps them on a leash at all times; and (ii) the dog does not cause a nuisance to other Visitors and/or the employees of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. It is important that the dog remains under control at all times to ensure a safe and pleasant environment for everyone. The adult Visitor accompanying the dog is obliged to immediately clean up any droppings and to inform reception. Means to remove droppings are available at reception. The Visitor remains exclusively liable at all times for any damage caused by his dog to the Fort/Visitors/employees of the vzw Fort Eben-Emael.
Article 9 - Visiting conditions
Article 9.1. – General visiting conditions
The vzw Fort Eben-Emael is only liable for any errors on its own website, but cannot be held liable for incorrect information provided by third parties or on third-party websites, nor can it be held liable for complying with conditions for the visit that were incorrectly communicated by a third party and that do not correspond to the general terms and conditions of vzw Fort Eben-Emael.
In the event of Force Majeure, vzw Fort Eben-Emael will not be obliged to carry out the tour or to grant access to Visitors who have purchased an entrance ticket in advance. Vzw Fort Eben-Emael will in no way be liable for any damage resulting from the Force Majeure situation.
“Force Majeure” means any unforeseeable, unavoidable situation beyond the control of vzw Fort Eben-Emael that makes the performance of the services impossible, including, but not limited to: fire, flooding, natural disasters, strikes, government measures, pandemics, epidemics, technical failures, staff shortages, etc. In that case, the entrance ticket remains valid for the same type of visit until 31 December of the following year. A refund of the entrance ticket is not possible in the event of Force Majeure.
If the visit is cancelled by vzw Fort Eben-Emael for a reason other than Force Majeure, the Visitor has the choice between the right to use the entrance ticket at another time within the year or to have the price refunded. If the holder of the entrance ticket chooses to use the entrance ticket at another time, he must make a new reservation by sending an e-mail to contact@fort-eben-emael.be . The new entrance ticket must be used within the year after the originally planned Visit. The refund of the entrance ticket must be requested in writing within thirty days after the original visit.
Article 9.2. - Individual visit
The individual Visitor must be in possession of a valid entrance ticket. An entrance ticket can be purchased online or at the reception desk. The valid rates for an individual visit, as well as the opening days and times are stated on our website www.fort-eben-emael.be. The price is a total price stated in euros.
Individual visitors who wish to take a guided tour in a group are advised to book a time slot. Without pre-registration in a time slot, participation in the tour is not guaranteed.
Tickets purchased in advance via the Fort website or via a third-party website will not be taken back or refunded. The ticket is only valid on the date chosen by the Visitor at the time of purchase.
Tickets purchased at a reduced price, by means of a voucher, a discount card, a membership card of a partner association or via a promotion of a third party provider must be handed in or shown on an information carrier at the reception desk at the start of the visit, otherwise the normal rate will apply. Members of partner associations must show a valid membership card.
Article 9.3.- Visits by reservation and/or group visits
The possibilities, the terms within which the reservation must be made, as well as the rates are listed on our website www.fort-eben-emael.be. The reservation request is made via our website and is confirmed as soon as possible by the secretariat of the Fort.
The person making the reservation is considered the contact person and is responsible for the reservation, payment and the behavior of the group of Visitors.
A minimum price applies for a visit by reservation or a group visit.
The minimum prices are listed on our website www.fort-eben-emael.be . The price is a total price listed in euros.
Payment for the reserved visit is made electronically or in cash at the start of the visit, unless payment by invoice has been agreed in advance with the secretariat. Payments by invoice must be made within 30 days of the invoice date.
A deposit may be requested upon reservation. The amount of the deposit depends on the type of visit and the number of participants.
In case of non-appearance on the date of the visit (no show) without prior notice (see further), the deposit will be acquired for the vzw Fort Eben-Emael.
There is a maximum number of Visitors per type of visit on reservation/group visit and per guide. The maximum number of Visitors is stated per type of visit on our website www.fort-eben-emael.be
The number of participants in a visit by reservation/group visit can be changed up to two working days before the visit date by sending an obligatory email to contact@fort-eben-emael.be. Without prior change by email, if the number of effective Visitors is lower, the number of Visitors initially stated at the time of reservation will be charged, always taking into account the minimum price for the type of visit reserved.
If the number of participants exceeds the previously announced number, an additional guide can be appointed. The costs of this additional guide depend on the requested type of visit and are listed on our website. If no additional guide is available, the visit can be denied to the number of participants who exceed the previously announced number.
A cancellation of a reserved visit must be reported by email to contact@fort-eben-emael.be at least two working days before the visit date. In case of non-cancellation and failure to appear (no show) on the scheduled day and time, if a deposit has been paid, that deposit will be acquired by the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. If no deposit has been requested, a fixed compensation per provided guide is due. This fixed compensation amounts to a minimum of €50 per provided guide, depending on the type of visit.
In case of a delay of more than 15 minutes, the secretariat of the Fort must be contacted on the number +32 (0)4 286 2861. If you do not appear within 45 minutes after the scheduled time, and without telephone notification, the visit will be cancelled (no show) and, if a deposit has been paid, the deposit will be acquired by the vzw Fort Eben-Emael. If no deposit has been requested, a fixed compensation per provided guide is due. This fixed compensation amounts to a minimum of €50 per provided guide, depending on the type of visit.
These terms and conditions replace all previous terms and conditions.
vzw Fort Eben-Emael
Update: September 27, 2024
