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 Eupedia Top > Belgium Guide Top > Province of West Flanders > Kortrijk |
 Kortrijk
Kortrijk (Courtrai in French, Cortoriacum in Latin; pop. 75,000) is a nice little town on the Lys River in south-western Flanders, only 7km from France. HistoryThe town was founded by the Romans as Cortoriacum. The town was destroyed by the Vikings then fortified in the 12th century and prospered as a cloth trading centre.In 1302, Kortrijk was the scene of one of Belgium's most famous battle, the Battle of the Golden Spurs. French King Philip IV the Fair had sent an army of well-equipped knights to punish the Flemish folk for the massacre in Bruges earlier that year of a previous dispatch who came to collect a newly imposed tax. Guild members from Bruges, Ghent, Ypres and Kortrijk gathered in front of Kortrijk disguised as peasants. The French knights arrived, unsuspicious of the peasants, were easily thrown down from their horses by the Flemish pikes, and slaughtered. It was the first time in European history that an army of knights were defeated by an improvised militia. The victory sparkled a sense of Flemish nationalism before its time, and Flemish people still celebrate the events on 11 July each year. The 700 years were commemorated in 2002, and there were even talks by separatists that Flanders push towards independent from the rest of Belgium that year, but it has happened yet. Sightseeing
Kortijk is not a particularily beautiful city in itself, but it does have a few noteworthy buildings. Starting from the town square (Grote Markt), the two constructions that immediately catch the attention are the late-Gothic, early Renaissance Townhall (Stadhuis), and the Medieval Belfry (Belfort), the last surviving element of the old Lakenhalle (cloth hall). Just north of the square stands St Martin's Collegiate Church, a Gothic edifice originally built around 1300, but reconstructed after a fire in 1382. St Martin's tower is endowed with a 48-bell carillon. The grey-stoned Our Lady's Church (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), errected between 1199 and 1203, is probably one of the most beautiful churches in the country. The adjacent St. Elisabeth Beguinage are the most charming part of town. The cute little orange-roofed white houses, with their narrow paved streets, make up a true oasis of quietness in the middle of the city. The Beguinage was founded in 1238 by Jeanne of Constantinople (1200-1244), countess of Flanders and Hainaut, but the present houses date from the 17th century. The Beguinage and the Belfry have been classified a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Further north, the two massive round towers known as the Broel Towers are a reminder of the city's military past. The southern tower, named Speyentoren, was part of the 12th century rampart, destroyed by Louis XIV in the 17th century. The northern tower ("Inghelburgtoren") only dates from the 15th century (hard to tell just from looks !). The small Broel Museum is housed in a white neo-classical building by the northern tower. The last medieval edifice in the list is Our Lady Hospital (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehospitaal), built between 1200 and 1204. Also note the Neo-Gothic Schouwburg Festival Hall between the Grand Place and the train station. How to get there
Kortrijk can conveniently be reached by train from Brussels (1 hour), Ghent (20 to 30min), Bruges (40 to 50min), Tournai (30min) or Lille (30min). By car, take the E17 from Ghent or Lille (France), or the E403 from Bruges or Tournai.
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