Malakoff Tower

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 look like it has 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 built as a memorial to its medieval predecessor.

The tower was built on a hill next to the Brussels-Charleroi Canal. This hill was probably created with the earth excavated from the canal which was enlarged that same year.

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

At present Malakoff Tower is freely accessible. A nice tower.

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