The Citadel of Liège was the central fortification of the strategic Belgian city of Liège until the end of the 19th century. It is located in the Sainte-Walburge neighborhood, above the Meuse valley. The first citadel was built on the heights overlooking the city in 1255. It was rebuilt in a pentagonal shape by Prince-Bishop Maximilian Henry of Bavaria in 1650. This fortress was destroyed by France shortly afterwards, then rebuilt in 1684. During the Napoleonic Wars it was given five bastions in the style of Vauban. By the late 19th century the citadel had become obsolete, replaced by the twelve forts of the Fortified Position of Liège. It continued in use as a barracks and as a command post. In the 1970s the citadel was largely destroyed by the construction of a hospital on the site. The