Koolkerke is small district of
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population.
The area of the whole city a ...
in the province of West Flanders in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Although Roman remains have been found, the first written mention of the village Koolkerke dates from the 12th century. The name "Coolkercke" was first mentioned in 1243. The Old Zwin, a watercourse which connected Bruges to the Zwin in Knokke and the Nortsea, ran past the village. Old Zwin silted up, replaced by a canal constructed by the order of Napoleon and two forts were built in the 17th century: Fort Lapin south of Koolkerke and the 'Fort de Bavière' or Fort van Beieren, the remains of this can be seen today.
It is believed that the name derives from Kool, a short version of the name Nicolas, hence from the church of St Nicholas. The church in Koolkerke was named by the settlement's founder, Nicolaas Gaillaerd.
Other local attractions include the old windmill Ter Panne, and the Groene Poort castle, Dudzeelse steenweg 460 (now called Château Rougesse).
file:Koolkerke - Sint-Niklaaskerk 1.jpg, Sint-Niklaaskerk
File:Pannemolen.JPG, Ter Pannemolen of Gailliaertmolen
File:Koolkerke - Fort van Beieren 1.jpg, Fort van Beieren
File: Hoeve Fort van Beieren.JPG, Hoeve Fort van Beieren
References
External links
Web.archive.org
Sub-municipalities of Bruges
Populated places in West Flanders
{{WestFlanders-geo-stub