Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg , shield_size = , image_map ...

. It is the capital and largest city of the judicial and administrative

arrondissement of Kortrijk The Arrondissement of Kortrijk (; ) is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West Flanders, Belgium. It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement. However, the Judicial Arrondissement of Kortrijk also c ...

. The wider municipality comprises the city of Courtrai proper and the villages of

Aalbeke Aalbeke is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and since 1977 a part of Kortrijk. Aalbeke has 8511 as a postal code and covers an area of 717 ha. The district had 2,953 inhabitants on December 31, 2007. Aalbeke is located 6 ...

Bellegem Bellegem is a village situated in West Flanders, Belgium, near the city of Kortrijk. In 2013, it had a population of 3,790. Gallery File:Bockor14.jpg, The Bockor Brewery Trivia On 4 July 1989, an unmanned Soviet MiG 23 The Mikoyan-Gurevi ...

Bissegem Bissegem is a sub-municipality of the city of Kortrijk, 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 nor ...

Heule Heule is a submunicipality of the city of Kortrijk in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The first notion of this settlement date of the year 1111. Heule has a surface of 1169h and has a population of 10,503 (2009). Surrounding villages of H ...

Kooigem Kooigem is a submunicipality of the city of Kortrijk, 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 ...

, Marke, and

Rollegem Rollegem is a submunicipality of the city of Kortrijk, Belgium. As of 2007 it had a population of 2,720. References External links worldrouteplanner.com
Sub-municipalities of Kortrijk Populated places in West Flanders {{WestFlanders-geo-s ...

. Courtrai is also part of the cross-border Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai metropolitan area. The city is on the river

Leie The Lys () or Leie () is a river in France and Belgium, and a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is . Historically a very pollute ...

, southwest of

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

and northeast of

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

Mouscron Mouscron (; Dutch and vls, Moeskroen, ; Picard and Walloon: ''Moucron'') is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, along the border with the French city of Tourcoing, which is part of the Lille metropoli ...

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

is just south of Courtrai. Kortrijk - Beguinage and Sint-Maartenskerk

Courtrai originated from a Gallo-Roman town, ''Cortoriacum'', at a crossroads near the Leie river and two Roman roads. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, Courtrai grew significantly thanks to the

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...

and

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

industry with France and England and became one of the biggest and richest cities in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

. The city is often referred to as City of Groeninge or City of the Golden Spurs, referring to the Battle of Courtrai or the

Battle of the Golden Spurs The Battle of the Golden Spurs ( nl, Guldensporenslag; french: Bataille des éperons d'or) was a military confrontation between the royal army of France and rebellious forces of the County of Flanders on 11 July 1302 during the Franco-Flemis ...

which took place on 11 July 1302 on the Fields of Groeninge in Courtrai. In 1820 the

Treaty of Kortrijk A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

was signed, laying out the still-current borders between France and Belgium. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the flax industry flourished and remains important within the Belgian textile industry today. Courtrai is the largest city in southern West Flanders, with several hospitals, colleges and a university. Courtrai was the first city in Belgium with a pedestrian shopping street, the ''Korte Steenstraat''.

History

Name

The Latin name ''Cortoriacum'' means the settlement near the curb in the river. There is also mention of 'Cortoracum' in some literature. Its name later evolved to 'Cortrycke', 'Cortryck' and 'Kortrijk' (19th century). In French and in English, the city is called Courtrai.

Origins Roman times

Findings from an archeological dig in 1950 in which remains of three Roman

funeral pyre A pyre ( grc, πυρά; ''pyrá'', from , ''pyr'', "fire"), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the ...

s were found suggest that the

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus r ...

was used as an encampment by the Romans during their invasion of Britain in AD 43. ''Cortoriacum'' was a larger

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on th ...

Menapiorum at an important crossroads near the Lys river of the Roman roads linking

Tongeren Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...

and

Cassel Cassel may refer to: People * Cassel (surname) Places ;France * Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France ** Battle of Cassel (1071) ** Battle of Cassel (1328) ** Battle of Cassel (1677) ;Germany * Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse renam ...

and

Tournai Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...

and

Oudenburg Oudenburg (; french: Audembourg ; vls, Oednburg; la, Aldenburgensis) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenburg itself and the towns of Ettelgem, Roksem and We ...

. It was first mentioned in a document from the 4th or 5th century called

Notitia Dignitatum The ''Notitia Dignitatum'' (Latin for "The List of Offices") is a document of the late Roman Empire that details the administrative organization of the Western and the Eastern Roman Empire. It is unique as one of very few surviving documents of ...

where the cortoriacenses (cavalry) troops were mentioned. In the 9th century,

Baldwin II, Count of Flanders Baldwin II ( 865 – 10 September 918) was the second margrave (or count) of Flanders, ruling from 879 to 918. He was nicknamed the Bald (''Calvus'') after his maternal grandfather, Emperor Charles the Bald. Rule Baldwin II was born around 86 ...

established fortifications against the

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

. The town gained its

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...

in 1190 from

Philip, Count of Flanders Philip I (1143 – 1 August 1191), commonly known as Philip of Alsace, was count of Flanders from 1168 to 1191. During his rule Flanders prospered economically. He took part in two crusades and died of disease in the Holy Land. Count of Flanders ...

. The population growth required new

defensive walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

, part of which can still be seen today (the

Broeltorens The Broel Towers ( nl, Broeltorens) are a listed monument and a landmark in the Belgian city of Kortrijk (''Courtrai''). The towers are known as one of the most important symbols of the city. History Although they look identical, the towers wer ...

, Armory, Kortrijk). Several local places still refer to physical parts of the defensive structures around Kortrijk (Walle, Waterpoort, Menenpoort, Gentsepoort, Brugsepoort, Kasteelkaai); Most of the physical parts have been overbuilt or destroyed. Bourgondisch kasteel

In the 13th century, the battles between Fernando of Portugal, Count of Flanders and his first cousin, King

Louis VIII of France Louis VIII (5 September 1187 – 8 November 1226), nicknamed The Lion (french: Le Lion), was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As prince, he invaded England on 21 May 1216 and was excommunicated by a papal legate on 29 May 1216. On 2 June 1216 ...

, led to the destruction of the city. The Counts of Flanders had it rebuilt soon after. To promote industry and weaving in the town,

Joan, Countess of Flanders Joan, often called Joan of Constantinople ( 1199 – 5 December 1244), ruled as Countess of Flanders and Hainaut from 1205 (at the age of six) until her death. She was the elder daughter of Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Marie ...

exempted settlers in Courtrai from

property tax A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...

. From that time, Kortrijk gained great importance as a center of

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

production.

Battle of the Golden Spurs

In 1302, the population of

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

started a successful uprising against the French, who had annexed

a couple of years earlier. On 18 May the French population in that city was massacred, an event that could not go unpunished. The famous ensuing Battle of Courtrai in 1302, also known as the

(Dutch: ''Guldensporenslag''), between the

Flemish people The Flemish or Flemings ( nl, Vlamingen ) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Flanders, Belgium, who speak Dutch. Flemish people make up the majority of Belgians, at about 60%. "''Flemish''" was historically a geographical term, as all inhab ...

, mostly commoners and farmers, and

Philip the Fair Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 1 ...

's knights took place near Courtrai on 11 July, resulting in a victory for Flanders;Courtrai (Flem. Kortrijk), a walled town of Belgium, on the Lys, 54 miles SW. of Brussels by rail, and 6 from the French frontier. It has a fine eld bridge flanked with towers, a noble townhall (1526), belfry, and a beautiful Gothic church, founded in 1238 by Baldwin, Count of Flanders. Table damask, linen, and lace are the chief manufactures. Population, about 35,000. Here, in 1302, the citizens of Ghent and Bruges won over the French the 'Battle of the Spurs,' so named from the number of gilt spurs gathered from the dead. ''Chambers's Concise Gazetteer Of The World'', by David Patrick. W. & R. Chambers, Limited, 1906.
/ref> the date is commemorated as a national holiday by the

Flemish community The Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilitie ...

. Following a new uprising by the Flemish in 1323, this time against their own Count Louis I, the French invaded again. These Flemish acquisitions were consolidated by the French at the

Battle of Cassel (1328) On 23 August 1328, the Battle of Cassel took place near the city of Cassel, 30 km south of Dunkirk in present-day France. Philip VI (King of France from 1328 to 1350) fought Nicolaas Zannekin, a wealthy farmer from Lampernisse. Zannek ...

. Louis I's son Louis II lost the city to a Flemish uprising led by

Philip van Artevelde Philip van Artevelde (c. 1340 – 27 November 1382) was a Flemish patriot, the son of Jacob van Artevelde. Because of his father's prominence he was godson of English queen Philippa of Hainault, who held him in her arms during his baptism. La ...

in 1381, but the Flemish were later decisively defeated at the 1382

Battle of Roosebeke The Battle of Roosebeke (sometimes referred by its contemporary name as Battle of Westrozebeke) took place on 27 November 1382 on the Goudberg between a Flemish army under Philip van Artevelde and a French army under Louis II of Flanders who had ...

by Louis II with French support, resulting in a new wave of plundering and destruction.

15th century to modern times

Most of the 15th century was prosperous under the

Dukes of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

, until the death of the Burgundian heiress

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

in 1482, which ushered in renewed fighting with France. The 16th century was marked by the confrontations engendered by the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and the uprising of the Netherlands against Spain.

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

's reign saw Courtrai occupied by the French five times in sixty years and its former fortifications razed. The

Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne o ...

assigned the area to the Austrian Habsburgs. After the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and the

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

ic era, the textile industry, based on

, and the general economy of the city prospered again. Courtrai was heavily bombed in the summer of 1917, but was liberated by the British Army the following year. During World War II the city was an important railway hub for the German army, and for this reason was the target of several Allied airstrikes. On 21 July 1944 (the Belgian National Day) around 300

Avro Lancasters The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...

dropped over 5,000 bombs on the city center. Many historical buildings on the central square, as well as the old railway station, were destroyed.

Battle of Courtrai

Battles fought there in 1302, 1382, 1580, 1793, 1794, 1814, 1815, and

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

have each been called Battle of Courtrai.

Geography

Municipality

After the 1977 fusion the city is made up of: * I Kortrijk * II

* III

* IV Marke * V

* VI

* VII

* VIII

Neighboring municipalities

The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, also consists of Kuurne, Wevelgem, Zwevegem and Harelbeke. Although these municipalities have strong morphologic ties with Courtrai, they aren't officially part of the city. MapKortrijk

* a.

Kuurne Kuurne () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km² which gives a po ...

(municipality Kuurne) * b.

Harelbeke Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total pop ...

(municipality Harelbeke) * c.

Zwevegem Zwevegem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Heestert, Moen, Otegem, Sint-Denijs and Zwevegem. On January 1, 2019, Zwevegem had a total population of 24,648. The total ar ...

(municipality Zwevegem) * d. Sint-Denijs (municipality Zwevegem) * e.

Spiere Spiere-Helkijn (; french: Espierres-Helchin, ; vls, Spiere-Elkyng) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Helkijn and Spiere. On January 1, 2018, Spiere-Helkijn had a total popu ...

(municipality Spiere-Helkijn) * f. Dottenijs (city of Moeskroen) * g.

Luingne Luingne (pronounced // or //; nl, Lowingen; pcd, Loinne) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Mouscron, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It was a municipality in its own right before the 1977 fusion of mun ...

(city of Moeskroen) * h. Moeskroen (city of Moeskroen) * i.

Rekkem Rekkem is a section of the Belgian city of Menen, in the province of West Flanders. Until 1977, it was an independent municipality. It was called ''Retchème'' in Picard. In 1173, the village was still called Rekkem, similar to Reclinghem in Art ...

(city of Menen) * j. Lauwe (city of Menen) * k.

Wevelgem Wevelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Gullegem, Moorsele and Wevelgem proper. On January 1, 2006, Wevelgem had a total population of 31,020. The total area is 38.76 ...

(municipality Wevelgem) * l.

Gullegem Wevelgem () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Gullegem, Moorsele and Wevelgem proper. On January 1, 2006, Wevelgem had a total population of 31,020. The total area is 38.76 ...

(municipality Wevelgem) * m.

Sint-Eloois-Winkel Sint-Eloois-Winkel is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders. It is a '' deelgemeente'' of the municipality of Ledegem, separated from the center of the town by highway A17. The population of Sint-Eloois-Winkel is 3800, only a few hun ...

(municipality Ledegem) * n.

Lendelede Lendelede (; vls, Lendlee) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Lendelede proper. On January 1, 2006, Lendelede had a total population of 5,399. The total area is 13.15&nbs ...

, with Sint-Katharina (municipality Lendelede)

Climate

Kortrijk has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfb'').

Main sights

Architecture

Much of the city's

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. The city centre is one of the largest car-free areas in Belgium. The béguinage, as well as the belfry, have each been recognized by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

. Interesting highlights are:

Civil

* Medieval

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

(on the main square, the Grote Markt). The

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...

of the late-

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

, early

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

city hall is adorned with the statues of the

Counts of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the co ...

. * The belfry is surmounted by a statue of

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

, god of the merchants. The belfry is classified by UNESCO as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, on the list of

Belfries of Belgium and France The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic indep ...

. * Near-identical medieval

Broel Towers The Broel Towers ( nl, Broeltorens) are a listed monument and a landmark in the Belgian city of Kortrijk (''Courtrai''). The towers are known as one of the most important symbols of the city. History Although they look identical, the towers wer ...

with the bridge in between that spans the river

. (the ''Speyetower'' and the ''Ingelburgtower'') * Artillerytower (''Artillerietoren'') *

Mont de Piété A mount of piety is an institutional pawnbroker run as a charity in Europe from Renaissance times until today. Similar institutions were established in the colonies of Catholic countries; the Mexican Nacional Monte de Piedad is still in operation ...

(''Berg van Barmhartigheid'' or ''house of Mercy'') *

Weigh house A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...

(''Stadswaag'') on the St.Michael-square * Our Lady Hospital (''Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehospitaal''), founded in 1200–1204. * Baggaertshof, often called Kortrijk's second Beguinage, contains a

Botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

* Groeningekouter contains the

Groeningegate The Groeningepoort is a monument in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. The triumphal arch was built to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs and gives access to the Groeningepark, where during the Middle Ages the Groening ...

and the

Groeninge Monument The Groeninge Monument is a monument in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. The gilded statue was inaugurated to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs. The statue is situated in the Groeningepark, where during the Middl ...

, to commemorate the 600th

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

of the famous

Religious

* The Saint-Martin church dates from the 13th century but was mostly rebuilt after a fire in the 15th century. It now houses a 48-bell

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...

. Its 83-meter (272 feet) tower remains the highest building in the city. * The

beguinage A beguinage, from the French term ''béguinage'', is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution was ...

is one of the quaintest sites in the city. It too, was listed by

as a

, on the list of "Flemish Béguinages". * The church of Our Lady (''Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk'') is former collegiate church. Here the golden spurs taken from the battlefield in 1302 were hung. It houses a rich interior with an altar piece of

van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

. * the Count’s chapel (''

Gravenkapel The Count's Chapel (''Gravenkapel'' in Dutch) is a medieval chapel in the historic city centre of Kortrijk, Belgium. It is located next to the Church of Our Lady. It was built under Louis II, Count of Flanders as a mausoleum to the Counts of ...

''), built after the example of la

Sainte Chapelle The Sainte-Chapelle (; en, Holy Chapel) is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris, France. Co ...

in Paris as

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

for

Louis II of Flanders Louis II ( nl, Lodewijk van Male; french: Louis II de Flandre) (25 October 1330, Male – 30 January 1384, Lille), also known as Louis of Male, a member of the House of Dampierre, was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel from 1346 as well as ...

. * Saint-Michaelschurch; a church of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

* Saint-Johnschurch in the St.-Johnsquarter; a

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

* Groeninge Abbey * Saint Eligiuschurch * Saint-Pius X-church * Saint-Rochchurch * Saint-Elisabethchurch * Saint-Anthonychurch or ''Toontjes kerk'' with the pilgrimage of

Isidore of Saint Joseph Isidore De Loor (18 April 1881 – 6 October 1916), also known by his religious name Isidore of Saint Joseph, was a Belgian professed religious from the Passionists. He served in various capacities at the convents that he served like being a jani ...

* Saint-Annechurch * Saint-Theresiachurch * Father Damienchurch

Museums

Museums in Courtrai include: * ''Kortrijk 1302: seven centuries in one day'', a historic museum about the famous

, which gave Flanders its official holiday (11 July) * '' Broelmuseum'' (Museum of Fine Arts and archaeological museum), with paintings by

Roelant Savery Roelant Savery (or ''Roeland(t) Maertensz Saverij'', or ''de Savery'', or many variants; 1576 – buried 25 February 1639) was a Flanders-born Dutch Golden Age painter. Life Savery was born in Kortrijk. Like so many other artists, he belonge ...

and international

Ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

. * ''National

Flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...

Museum'' in honour of the plant that once was the main driver of Kortrijk’s economy. This museum will be relocated. * Groeninge Abbey with the Groeningemuseum. This museum gives you an overview of Kortrijk's history. * ''Beguinage museum'' located in the old town, in the béguinage. * ''Flemish Film museum and archive'' * ''Bakery- and Millmuseum'', located in an old windmill. * ''Museum of Agriculture'' * ''International Rose gardens'', located in the park of the Castle ''t Hooghe'', in the Hoog-Kortrijk quarter just in front of Kortrijk Xpo. * ''Begijnhofmuseum''

Transport

Road

Courtrai lies at the intersection of three highways: * The E17: connects Courtrai with

Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...

and

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

to the northeast, and with

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to the south-west. * The

E403 Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous natural gum, gum when hydrated. With metals such as sodium and calcium, its salts are known as alginates ...

: connects Courtrai with

and

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

to the north, and with

Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...

and

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

to the south-east. * The Belgian highway A19: connects Courtrai with

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

and the Belgian coast. * In addition Courtrai also has two ringways: ** The R8: connects the outskirts of Kortrijk with each other and the surrounding villages, and also leads to the A19,

and E17 roads. ** The R36: connects the different downtown quarters with each other, and provides access to the main avenues.

Railway

* The municipality of Courtrai has two railway stations: **

Kortrijk main railway station Kortrijk railway station ( nl, Station Kortrijk, french: Gare de Courtrai), officially Kortrijk, is the main railway station in Kortrijk, West Flanders, Belgium. The station was first inaugurated on 22 September 1839. With around 10,000 passenger ...

: an international railway station with direct connections to Brugge Centraal (Bruges),

Brussel Zuid Brussels-South railway station (french: Gare de Bruxelles-Midi, nl, Station Brussel-Zuid, IATA code: ZYR), officially Brussels-South (french: Bruxelles-Midi, link=no, nl, Brussel-Zuid, link=no), is a major railway station in Brussels, Belgium ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

Poperinge Poperinge (; french: Poperinghe, ； vls, Poperienge) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to medieval times. The municipality comprises the town of Poperinge pr ...

and Ieper (Ypres),

Oudenaarde Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English sometimes ''Oudenarde'') is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heu ...

, other Belgian towns and

in France. The station also offers a direct connection to

Brussels Airport Brussels Airport, nl, Luchthaven Brussel, vls, Vliegpling Brussel, german: Flughafen Brüssel is an international airport northeast of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. In 2019, more than 26 million passengers arrived or departed at Bruss ...

. ** Bissegem Station: a regional railway station in the village of Bissegem with connections to Ypres.

Public city transport

Kortrijk has an extensive web of public transport lines, operated by ''

De Lijn Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn (English: Flemish transport company ''De Lijn''), usually known as De Lijn (, "The Line"), is a company run by the Flemish government in Belgium to provide public transportation with about 2240 buses and 399 tr ...

'', providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines, nl, stadslijnen) and to many towns and villages in the region around the city (regional lines, nl, streeklijnen). * ''City buses'': ** Line 1: Station –

Kortrijk Xpo Kortrijk Xpo is one of the biggest multi-purpose indoor arenas and convention centres in the BENELUX, covering some (2009).Nieuwbladarticle/ref> The complex is situated in the city of Kortrijk, Belgium and is home to some internationally renowne ...

–

Kinepolis The Kinepolis Group is a Belgian-French cinema chain with 110 theaters in Europe and North America. It is Europe’s third-largest cinema chain. History The Kinepolis Group is a Belgian cinema chain formed in 1997 as a result of the merger of t ...

– Leiedal ** Line 2: Station – Lange Munte ** Line 4: Station – Bissegem Station – Heule Kransvijver ** Line 50: Station – Kuurne Seizoenswijk ** Line 51: Station – Kuurne Sint-Pieter ** Line 6: Station – Shopping Center (– Industriezone) – Heule Markt ** Line 9: Station – Cederlaan ** Line 12: Station – Kinepolis – Bellegem – Rollegem (– Aalbeke) ** Line 13: Station – Hoog Kortrijk ** Line 80/81: Station – Marke ** Line 91/92/93: Station – Zwevegem * ''Regional buses'' :At

, there is a bus station where regional buses stop as well.

Airport

* The city has an airport known as

Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport Flanders International Airport, Flanders Airport or Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport is an airport located in the town of Wevelgem, West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium and partly also in the Bissegem section of the city of Kor ...

, which is mainly used for business travel and medical flights. Kortrijk Airport is located northwest of the city centre, next to the R8 ringroad. * The national

, one hour away by train or car, offers the best international connectivity. * The

Lille Lesquin International Airport Lille Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport de Lille) is an airport located in Lesquin, south-southeast of Lille, a city in northern France. It is also known as Lille-Lesquin Airport or Lesquin Airport. Lille is the principal city of the Lille ...

is located 35 kilometres from Kortrijk.

Waterways

The

river Lys The Lys () or Leie () is a river in France and Belgium, and a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is . Historically a very pollute ...

(Leie) is an important way of transporting goods through

inland navigation Inland navigation, inland barge transport or inland waterway transport (IWT) is a transport system allowing ships and barges to use inland waterways (such as canals, rivers and lakes). These waterways have inland ports, marinas, quays, and wharfs. ...

. The Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal enables in the city centre a direct connection with the river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corr ...

. Within the City, the river briefly splits in two, to re-join about a mile further. * ''Oude Leie'' (''Old Lys'') original southernmost riverbed where the ''Broel'' towers still stand. * ''Nieuwe Leie'' (''New Lys'') New bed that was dug around 1585 by Humans to accommodate water powered equipment. From the 1970s on, the planning and later the execution of the so-called ''Leiewerken'' (''Leieworks'') started. These construction works comprised the deepening and widening of the river. This would enable ships with 4400 tons to navigate from France to the Scheldt. At the same time, this project included a thorough urban renewal of the riversides in the city. Seven new bridges were to give a new architectural impulse to the river quarters as well as the construction of several new parks along the river. The following bridges were built during the period of 1997 and 2012: * ''Dambrug'' * ''Groeningebrug'' near the ''AlbertPark'' * ''Ronde van Vlaanderenbrug'' near the new ''Nelson Mandelapark'' * ''Collegebrug'' referring to the ''St Amands'' college * ''Noordbrug'' (2010) * ''Budabrug'' * ''Reepbrug'' (to be constructed) More recently (2018), the banks in front of the

were lowered to allow the public to enjoy the historic river banks along both sides of the River Lys (Leie). This area is now known as the ''Leieboorden'' (or ''Banks of the River Lys''), a place for pedestrians with bars and restaurants.

Other Smaller Waterways with Historic and Geological value

Several small streams or ''Beken'' in and around Courtrai were of significant topological, historical and Geological value. *''Lange Mere'' Mentioned in the Town accounts of 1412-13 as ''Langhe Meere''. *''Mosscher'' (High Mossher and Low Mosscher) ending in the Southern Moat (Sanderus Map mentions only the 'Mosscher'' as a single toponym. It was also mentioned in almost full length on the ''Deventer Map''. *''Groeninghe'' (first mentioned as ''Groeninc'' in 1412 ) Its name came from the green color of the flooded meadow where it originated. *''Grote Vijver'' (first mention as ''Hoghen vivere'' in the town accounts of 1416-17). *''St-Jan''s stream - Human Dug connecting stream *''Klakkaert'' stream * Moat around the City (south of the ''Leie'' or Lys) *''Neveldries'' *''Bloedmeers''

Cycling and pedestrian areas

Cars are required to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. In general, cars are led to large underground car parks in the historic centre of Courtrai or Park&Ride parking outside the town centre. Large parts of the historic centre are car free.

Economy

The city is historically connected with the

and the textile industry, and still today the textile industry remains important in the region. Major companies which have headquarters in Courtrai include

Cisco Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...

, Barco and

Bekaert N.V. Bekaert S.A. (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) is a global company with headquarters in Belgium, employing 28,000 people worldwide. Its primary business is steel wire transformation and coatings. Operating in 45 countries, Bekaert generated combined ...

Education

Courtrai serves as an educational centre in south West Flanders, attracting students from the entire region. There are 55 schools in Courtrai, on 72 different locations throughout the city, with an estimated 21,000 students. The city also provides higher education. The

KULAK Kulak (; russian: кула́к, r=kulák, p=kʊˈlak, a=Ru-кулак.ogg; plural: кулаки́, ''kulakí'', 'fist' or 'tight-fisted'), also kurkul () or golchomag (, plural: ), was the term which was used to describe peasants who owned ove ...

, a campus of the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of ...

, is located in on the south edge of the city, in the Hoog Kortrijk quarter. Other institutes of higher education include the

Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen The Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen or KATHO was a university college in West Flanders. It had four campuses: Kortrijk, Roeselare, Tielt and Torhout. Since September 1, 2002, KATHO was a member of the K.U.Leuven Association. In 2013, KAT ...

(KATHO) and

Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen Howest, de Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen (English: ''Howest University of Applied Sciences''), abbreviated as HOWEST, is a university of applied sciences in West Flanders, a province of Belgium with five campuses situated in Bruges and Kortrijk Kor ...

(HOWEST)

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

s. There is also a campus of

Ghent University Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when the ...

European cooperation

Even though Courtrai is a Dutch-speaking town, it borders

, and is only away from the border with France. This has created an urban area that extends across linguistic and national borders. The mayors of

, Courtrai and

met in Courtrai on 28 January 2008 to sign a document creating the first European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation within the EU. The purpose of this organisation is to facilitate the movement of people within this area of nearly 2 million people. * Courtrai is a member of the

Eurotowns network Eurotowns is a network of medium-sized European cities with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 inhabitants. The organisation was founded in 1991. Its members include Avilés, Böblingen, Chelm, Detmold, Eskilstuna, Gävle, Girona, Haarl ...

Culture

Newspaper

* Courtrai used to have its own newspaper in times of war, called ''het Kortrijks Oorlogsblad''.

Music

* Courtrai has widely recognised local artists, such as: **

Fapy Lafertin Fapy Lafertin (born 20 November 1950) is a Belgian guitarist in the Belgian-Dutch gypsy jazz style. Lafertin was born in Kortrijk, Belgium in the Manouche Romani community and took up guitar at the age of five. After performing in a family band ...

, foremost exponent of the Belgian-Dutch style of

gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane Gr ...

. **

Goose A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...

electronic rock Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...

band with international projection. **

Amenra Amenra is a Belgian band from Kortrijk. It was formed in 1999 by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, who now perform alongside drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Tim De Gieter. Among a numbe ...

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

band prominent in the European metal scene. **

Marcel Ponseele Marcel Ponseele (Kortrijk, 1957) is a Belgian oboist. Ponseele studied at Bruges and other conservatories in Belgium. He has specialised in the baroque oboe and is involved in making his own instruments in 18th-century style. He is known for his p ...

, baroque oboist known for his Bach performances and recordings. ** Balthazar,

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band popular in both Belgium and the Netherlands. ** Michaela Karadjian,

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

singer.

Theatres and concert venues

* Courtrai has several cultural centres, each comprising different locations: ** Cultural Centre Kortrijk ** City Theatre (''De Schouwburg'', see picture), a

neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

architecture theatre known for its

glass ceiling A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Full ...

, an artwork of the French-Algerian artist Alberola ** Arenatheatre ** Antigone Theatre ** Buda Kunstencentrum (Buda Arts Centre), comprising the cinema Budascoop, the artist residence Tacktower and the artist creation space Budafactory ** The Concertstudio ** Music Centre Track* ** Concert venue ''De Kreun'' * Cinemas ** Kinepolis, a modern cinema multiplex with 10 screens. ** Budascoop, a 5 screen cinema, specialised in European movies.

Festivals and events

The city is host to some sizable cultural events such as: *

Day of the Flemish Community The Day of the Flemish Community of Belgium ( nl, Feestdag van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap) is an annual commemoration in the Flemish Community in Belgium on 11 July which marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs (''Guldensporenslag'') i ...

(11 July) *

Golden River City Jazz Festival The Golden River City Jazz Festival was an annual music festival in Kortrijk, Belgium, on the first weekend in September coinciding with the local 'September' Braderie, focusing on jazz. The Festival was an opportunity for The Golden River City ...

(first weekend of September) * Humorologie: cabaret festival * Next: arts festival in the

Eurodistrict A eurodistrict is a European administrative entity that contains urban agglomerations which lie across the border between two or more states. A eurodistrict offers a program for cooperation and integration of the towns or communes which it compr ...

Kortrijk-

* Happy New Ears: festival of experimental modern music * Budafest: theatre festival * The Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen (April–May): several concerts of classical and modern music. * Novarock: rock festival in Kortrijk Xpo * Easter Carnival (Paasfoor): during the weeks after Easter * Sinxenfestival: one of the most vivid festivals downtown with street artists, concerts and flea markets all over town * Kortrijk Congé (July) * Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival (August) * Summer Carnival (weekend in August) * Student Welcome Concert: rock festival to celebrate the start of the new academic year at the Kortrijk University and the Kortrijk Colleges. Also, trade shows and events such as the international Design Fair

Interieur The Courtray Design Biennale Interieur ( nl, Design Biënnale Interieur Kortrijk) is a major international design exhibition that takes place once every two years (in even years) in the Belgian city of Courtray (Kortrijk in Dutch). The first Interi ...

, Busworld and the Eurodogshow take place in the

event center. These fairs attract numerous visitors to the city. In July and August there are various boat tours on the river

Food

Local specialities include Kalletaart (apple cake with

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norm ...

), Peperbollen, biscuits, and chocolate ''little beguines''. The town of

is the home of the Picobrouwerij Alvinne brewery, while

is the home of the Bockor brewery.

Leisure

Shopping

* Kortrijk was the first town in Belgium to have a fully traffic-free shopping street, the Korte Steenstraat (1962). Later, a lot of neighbouring streets were also made traffic-free. As a result, Courtrai nowadays has one of the biggest traffic-free areas in Belgium (comprising Lange Steenstraat, Steenpoort, Sint-Jansttraat, Wijngaardstraat and several squares). * Courtrai has several indoor shopping malls including the Ring Shopping Kortrijk Noord, Bouwcentrum Pottelberg and K in Kortrijk (opened March 2010). The latter is in the town centre and which links the main shopping street (Lange Steenstraat) with the Veemarket square. It contains up to 90 stores, including

Mediamarkt Media Markt is a German multinational chain of stores selling consumer electronics with over 1000 stores in Europe. With chain of stores Saturn it constitutes Media-Saturn Holding, owned by the retail company Ceconomy, which was demerged from M ...

, H&M, Zara and many other clothes, food and houseware stores.

Parks

* Beguinagepark * Groeningepark, on the site of the Groeningekouter where the Battle of Courtrai or the

took place. In contains the

and the

* King Albertpark, with the Leiemonument which commemorates the Battle of the Lys * Gebroeders van Raemdonckpark * Queen Astridpark in the Overleie district * 't Plein, a nineteenth-century park, laid out on a former military site * Park de Blauwe Poort * Magdalenapark * Rozentuin, the International Rose Garden * Stadsgroen Messeyne * Kasteelpark Blommeghem * Kasteelpark 't Hooghe * Nolfpark * Stadsgroen Venning, with a butterfly garden

Sports

Football

Kortrijk has three official

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

clubs. * K.V. Kortrijk plays in the

Belgian First Division A The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...

after winning the championship in the former

Belgian Second Division The Belgian Second Division (known as the Proximus League for sponsorship reasons) was the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was founded by the Royal Belgian Football Associa ...

during the 2007–2008 season. * SV Kortrijk plays in the fourth provincial division. * Wikings Kortrijk is for youth teams.

Basketball

* Kortrijk Sport CB * Basketbalteam Kortrijk

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

:In Flanders generally, professional cycling is very popular. Many cycling races start, finish or pass through the Kortrijk area. Amongst them are the

Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen Dwars door West-Vlaanderen is a road bicycle race through the Belgian province of West Flanders. History The race was originally created unter the name Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen (''English'': Tour of the Flemish Ardennes) in 1945 as a one-day ...

Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne is an annual single-day road cycling race in Belgium. It is held one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on the last Sunday of February or the first of March, and completes the opening weekend of the Belgian cycling season. ...

Gent–Wevelgem Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...

, the

Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organi ...

and

Dwars door Vlaanderen Dwars door Vlaanderen ''( en, Across Flanders)'' is a semi-classic road bicycle race in Belgium, held annually since 1945. The race starts in Roeselare and finishes in Waregem, both in West Flanders. Since 2017 the event is included in the UCI W ...

. Kortrijk also hosts an after-tour

criterium A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 400 m to 10,000 m. Overview Race length can be determined by a number of laps or total time ...

at the start of August called ''Kortrijk Koerse''. Many of the riders who participated in the Tour de France usually appear at the start. In cyclo-cross, the centre of Kortrijk hosts the Urban Cross, currently part of the

X²O Badkamers Trophy The X²O Badkamers Trophy ( nl, X²O Badkamers Trofee) is a Belgian cyclo-cross racing series sponsored by X²O Badkamers (X²O Bathrooms) which previously was known as the DVV Trophy (2017-2019), BPost Bank Trophy (2012-2016) and until 2011–2 ...

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: Rugby league: 13 players per side * Masters Rugby League * Mod league * Rugby league nines * Rugby league sevens * Touch (sport) * Wheelchair rugby league Rugby union: 1 ...

Rugbyclub Curtrycke Rugbyclub Curtrycke is a Belgian Rugby union, rugby club in the submunicipality of Rollegem in the city of Kortrijk. History The club was founded in 2000. External linksRugbyclub Curtrycke
Rugby union clubs in Belgium Rugby clubs established ...

Tennis

* Tennis Club De Egelantier

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

* KZK, Kortrijkse Zwemkring, arguably the best

waterpolo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

team in Belgium, having won the Belgian championship nine times. In the 2007–2008 season they won both the championship and the Belgian cup.

Notable citizens

Town twinning

Courtrai participates in

town twinning A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

to encourage good international relations. *

Bad Godesberg Bad Godesberg ( ksh, Bad Jodesbersch) is a borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of West Germany, most foreign embassies were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings ar ...

, Germany, since 1964 *

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...

, Philippines, since 2005 *

Frascati Frascati () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with ...

, Italy, since 1967 *

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, United States, since 1991 *

Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest towns ...

, France, since 1993 *

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

, Pakistan, since 1993 *

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...

, Uzbekistan, since the late 1980s *

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...

, United Kingdom, since 1981 *

Wuxi Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...

, China, since 2007

Photo gallery

File:KortrijkPatria.JPG, The Patriapalace File:Kortrijk1.JPG, The Saint-Martenstower File:Kortrijk-Huis-Plein.jpg, House in

Empire style The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 durin ...

File:ArtillerietorenKortrijk.jpg, The old town (The Gun Powder Tower, ''De Kruittoren'') File:Groeningepoort.jpg, The

File:Gravenkapel binnen.jpg, Count's Chapel File:Kortrijk Beguinage 805.jpg, Old houses in the historical city centre File:Kortrijk-Groeningemonument.jpg, The

File:Kortrijk - Sint-Elooiskerk 2.jpg, The Saint-Elooi church

Notes

References

External links

* – Information available in Dutch, French, English and German
Kortrijk airport

Kortrijk photo gallery
{{Authority control Sub-municipalities of Kortrijk Municipalities of West Flanders

History

Name

Origins Roman times

Battle of the Golden Spurs

15th century to modern times

Battle of Courtrai

Geography

Municipality

Neighboring municipalities

Climate

Main sights

Architecture

Civil

Religious

Museums

Transport

Road

Railway

Public city transport

Airport

Waterways

Other Smaller Waterways with Historic and Geological value

Cycling and pedestrian areas

Economy

Education

European cooperation

Culture

Newspaper

Music

Theatres and concert venues

Festivals and events

Food

Leisure

Shopping

Parks

Sports

Football

Basketball

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

Tennis

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Notable citizens

Town twinning

Photo gallery

Notes

References

External links

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: Rugby league: 13 players per side * Masters Rugby League * Mod league * Rugby league nines * Rugby league sevens * Touch (sport) * Wheelchair rugby league Rugby union: 1 ...