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Kortrijk Attractions

The town of Kortrijk (French Cortrai) is situated on the River Leie (French Lys), which is connected to the Scheldt by a canal. The economy of Kortrijk has been based on the textile industry which has its beginnings in the 14th C. The raw material flax is grown in the surrounding area of Flanders and is processed in several spinning, weaving and finishing mills.
Read More Begijnhof
(Grote Markt)
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Begijnhof in Kortrijk is striking with its whitewashed cottages built around a landscaped courtyard. The collection of buildings ranks as the most attractive bequinage in Belgium.
Read More Town Hall
(Grote Markt)
The Kortrijk Town Hall dates from the 15th C and boasts of ornately decorated Gothic fireplaces.
Battle of the Golden Spurs Memorial
To the east outside the town center can be seen a memorial erected in 1906 in memory of the Battle of the Golden Spurs; it is reached from the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk along Groeningstraat.
Typical Visit
10 minutes
Broeltorens
From the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk Guido Gezellestraat leads to the Broeltorens, two massive towers of a former fortification of the town of the 12th C. (south "Speyertoren") and 13th C. (north "Ingelborchtoren").
Typical Visit
20 minutes
Flanders Festival
This annual festival runs from early April to late June. Although the focus is choral music, there are many different events, including orchestral, choral and chamber concerts and organ and piano recitals.

There are performances almost every day in venues such as the Kortrijk Municipal Theater and the Church of Notre Dame, among others.
Address
Kortrijk Flanders Festival
Jan Breydellaan 12
B-8500 Kortrijk
Belgium
Ingelmunster, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
Ingelmunster, 11km/7mi north of Kortrijk, once possessed a mighty fortress and was "the key to Flanders" of great strategic importance. The fortress was replaced in the 18th C. by a splendid château, but is not open to visitors.
Tips
Chateau is closed to visitors.
Typical Visit
1 hour
Ingooigem, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
The Flemish poet Stijn Streuvels (1871-1969) was born in Ingooigem, 10km/6miles to the west. His birthplace, located on the street named after him, is now a museum.
Typical Visit
1 hour
Izegem, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
Izegem is only 3km/2miles west of Ingelmunster. The National Shoe and Brush Museum in the stadhuis is worth a visit.
Typical Visit
1 hour 30 minutes
Izegem - International Folkdance Summer Festival
This annual July festival includes performers from around the world. A conference is organized on the sidelines.
Address
CIOFF Festivals of Belgium
Sparrenlaan 9
B-2900 Schoten
Belgium
Menen, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
The industrial and commercial border town of Menen, 10km/6miles southwest of Kortrijk, often changed hands between French and Dutch rulers and suffered many sieges. The town hall in the market was built in 1784 in Classical style; the adjacent octagonal belfry with a carillon of 47 bells is of 16th/17th C. origin.
The belfry is a UNESCO site.
Typical Visit
1 hour
Menen - German Cemetery
Here is the largest German World War 1military cemetery, with 47,864 soldiers killed in action.
Typical Visit
1 hour
Mouscron, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
In the French-speaking area directly on the border with France is the town of Mouscron, situated on a hill, 7km/4mi to the south of Wervik. It is dominated by the 13th C. castle of the Counts of Mouscron.
Typical Visit
2 hours
Municipal Museum of Fine Arts
On the north bank of the River Leie the Stedelijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Municipal Museum of Fine Arts) is one of the finest patrician houses in the town (17th C.).

The museum has an art collection consisting primarily of Kortrijk painters, among them Roeland Savery (1576-1639), a good ceramics department, an archaeology department and a collection, unique in Europe, of 17th and 18th C. damask from Kortrijk's workshops, for which the town was famous.
Address
Broelmuseum
Broelkaai 6
B-8500 Kortrijk
Belgium
Hours
April 1 to September 30
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open10:0010:0010:0010:00Closed10:0010:00
Close13:0013:0013:0013:00 13:0013:00
Open15:0015:0015:0015:00 15:0015:00
Close18:0018:0018:0018:00 18:0018:00
October 1 to March 31
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open10:0010:0010:0010:00Closed10:0010:00
Close13:0013:0013:0013:00 13:0013:00
Open15:0015:0015:0015:00 15:0015:00
Close17:0017:0017:0017:00 17:0017:00
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Tips
Guided visits on request.
Typical Visit
2 hours
National Flax, Lace and Linenmuseum
Some distance from the center of town the National Vlasmuseum (National Flax Museum) is housed in a 19th C. flax farmhouse at Etienne Sabbelaan 4. It illustrates the cultivation and processing of flax with 26 slides using life-size figures.
A new addition to the collection in 1999 displays a collection of lace and linen.
Address
National Flax, Lace and Linenmuseum
Sabbelaan 4
B-8500 Kortrijk
Belgium
Hours
March 1 to November 30
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosed13:309:009:009:0014:0014:00
Close 12:3012:3012:3012:3012:3012:30
Open 13:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:30
Close 18:0018:0018:0018:0018:0018:00
Tips
Open on public holidays.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Transit
Bus: 2
Typical Visit
1 hour
Tielt, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
Some 25km/15miles north of Kortrijk is the small town of Tielt. The ruins of the cloth hall, the belfry and the town hall (stadhuis) together with the other buildings of the Grote Markt make a handsome scene.
The belfry is a UNESCO site.
Typical Visit
2 hours
Tielt - Hageland Museum
There is a small museum in the town hall chronicling the everyday life of the countryside around Tielt, the Hageland.
Typical Visit
30 minutes
Waregem Flanders Fields (WW1)
Here is a military cemetery with 368 soldiers killed in action.
American Memorial.
Typical Visit
30 minutes
Wervik, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
Wervik, 7km/4miles west of Menen, has a tobacco museum documenting the history of snuff, smoking and chewing tobacco.
Hours
March 1 to October 31
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open13:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:30
Close17:3017:3017:3017:3017:3017:3017:30
Typical Visit
1 hour 30 minutes
Wervik - Tobacco Museum
A museum of smoking paraphenalia and tobacco related books, posters and objects.
Address
Tobacco Museum
Koestraat 63
B-8940 Wervik
Belgium
Hours
March 1 to October 31
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosed13:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:30
Close 17:3017:3017:3017:3017:3017:30
Typical Visit
1 hour 30 minutes
Westrozebeke, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
At Westrozebeke, 8km/5miles west of Roeslare, the Flemish were heavily defeated in the battle of Rozebeke in 1382.
Typical Visit
1 hour
Wingene - Breughel Festival, Belgium
(Near Kortrijk)
This annual festival takes place on the second Sunday in September to celebrate life in Wingene. Local residents dress in 16th century costumes to recreate scenes depicted in Breughel paintings. His works of art are also displayed along with a parade, song, dancing and feasts held throughout the day.
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