Fort van Walem, Fortification in Walem, Mechelen, Belgium

Fort van Walem is a low, wide red-brick fortification in Walem, Mechelen, with a flat coping of grey stone slabs and a central rounded archway framed by stepped brickwork and a stone keystone. A pale stone plaque above the arch bears carved text, and grey stone bands run near the top and base. A tall metal gate stands at the left edge.

The fort was built between 1878 and 1883 and resisted German attack for five days in 1914 before suffering severe damage. This event became a defining moment in its history as a defensive stronghold.

The local heritage circle of Walem mounted a permanent exhibition inside the fort for the centenary of the First World War. In 2014 the Flemish television series Publiek geheim devoted an episode to the fort, and since 1998 it has been a protected monument.

The fort is not freely accessible because of its dilapidated state. Natuurpunt Mechels Rivierengebied organises a guided walk around the fort each season, so the moat and brick facade can be seen from the path even when the interior is closed. The site lies on an island beside the road in Walem, in the Mechelen municipality.

The fort grounds shelter a protected population of several bat species including the water bat, whiskered bat, and Brandt's bat. These creatures have reclaimed the abandoned site as an important habitat away from urban development.