Malakoff Tower

The Malakoff Tower, locally known as Malakofftoren, stands in a park west of the town of Lembeek, in the Flemish Brabant province in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Although the Malakoff Tower may seem to have a medieval origin, it does not. It is a folly built in 1854 by Paul-Alexandre Claes. He had bought the old 16th-century Lembeek Castle a year earlier and had the pseudo-medieval tower constructed as a memorial to its medieval predecessor.

The tower was built on a hill next to the Brussels-Charleroi Canal. This hill was probably formed from earth excavated during the enlargement of the canal that same year.

In 1855, during the Crimean War, French Marshal Aimable Pélissier won the Battle of Malakoff as part of the Siege of Sevastopol. For this achievement, he was awarded the title 'Duke of Malakoff' by Napoleon III. Possibly to commemorate this, the tower was named Malakoff Tower.

Today, Malakoff Tower is freely accessible. It’s a nice tower.

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