Kezelfort, Military fort and nature area in Edelare, Belgium

Kezelfort is a pentagonal fortification on the Edelareberg in Edelare, Oudenaarde, built as part of the Wellington Barrier. Its full countermine system survives, with listening galleries dug outward from the fort. On the site stands the 19th-century neogothic belvedere tower of the Thienpont family, a tall narrow brick building with two round corner towers, the taller left one topped by a pointed spire with a cross.

Kezelfort is part of the Wellington Barrier, a triple line of fortresses built between 1815 and 1830 on the initiative of the Duke of Wellington after Napoleon's fall, as a defence against France. After Belgium's creation in 1830 the military lookout posts were demolished, but the tunnel network survived. In 1940 part of Oudenaarde's population sheltered in the underground passages during the German invasion.

The fort's name comes from the Kezel family, who owned the land before the fort was built. The Thienpont family later built a 19th-century neogothic belvedere tower on the site. In 1940, part of Oudenaarde's population sheltered in the underground passages during the German invasion.

The grounds are surrounded by forest paths and open areas that can be explored on foot. Wear sturdy shoes since the underground sections can be damp and the terrain has uneven surfaces in places.

On 24 May 2002 the Flemish government designated Kezelfort a special protection area for bats within the Natura 2000 site "Bossen van de Vlaamse Ardennen en andere Zuid-Vlaamse bossen". The targets are the pond bat, Geoffroy's bat, the brown long-eared bat and the Bechstein's bat.