Fortress designers in the 1800s loved the star shape because it made it very hard for attackers to hide in corners. If you look at Brest Fortress from above, you can see the thick walls jutting out in points like a giant star drawn on the ground by two rivers.
The fortress is so large that an entire island sits in the middle of it, where the main buildings stand. The outer walls stretch for several kilometres, and grass grows along the tops of many of the old earthworks, making them look like wide green ridges.
Today the fortress has become a peaceful park as well as a museum. Visitors can walk along the wide paths, explore restored buildings, and learn about how people lived and worked inside a working 19th-century fortress. Locals come here to walk, cycle, and enjoy the riverside views.
The city of Brest around the fortress is one of the oldest cities in Belarus, with a history going back over 1,000 years. The fortress itself guards the point where Belarus meets Poland, making it a landmark that has watched centuries of traffic — traders, travellers, and visitors — passing through.