Fort Liefkenshoek in Kallo, Beveren, is one of Belgium's oldest fortifications, built from 1579 onwards to defend the Scheldt River during the Dutch Revolt against Spain. Constructed alongside Fort Lillo on the opposite riverbank, it was named after Liefken, a girl killed by Spanish soldiers in nearby Kallo. The fort served as a Dutch Republic outpost from 1585 to 1786 and later functioned as a quarantine hospital on the Scheldt until 1952. After World War II, it became a Belgian navy base. Designated a protected monument in 1985, the fort opened to the public on May 1, 2011, and now operates as an interactive museum where visitors learn about its four-century history and the stories of residents who lived in its shadow.
