Kortrijk
A West Flanders city with medieval bridge towers, a beguinage and a long history of flax and linen.
Updated 18 October 2026
Kortrijk grew on flax: the Leie river running through it was used for retting the crop, which gave the town a linen industry that lasted centuries and made it wealthy, and the Texture museum in a former flax warehouse covers that trade and the wider textile history. The Broel Towers, two medieval towers flanking a bridge over the Leie, are the emblem of the city and among the few surviving pieces of its fortification. The beguinage is one of the Flemish group listed by UNESCO, a quiet enclosure of small white houses. The Grote Markt has a belfry, and the church of Our Lady holds a Van Dyck. The city was heavily bombed in both world wars, so much of the centre is rebuilt.
History
Kortrijk grew from Cortoriacum, a Gallo-Roman settlement at a crossing of roads near the Leie, where Roman funeral pyres found in 1950 suggest a camp at the time of the invasion of Britain in AD 43, and it is named in the Notitia Dignitatum of the 4th or 5th century. Count Baldwin II of Flanders fortified it against the Vikings in the 9th century, Count Philip gave it a charter in 1190, and it grew on flax and wool; on 11 July 1302 Flemish townsmen and farmers defeated the knights of Philip the Fair nearby in the Battle of the Golden Spurs, still marked as the holiday of the Flemish community (Wikipedia, Kortrijk).
Highlights
- The Broel Towers - two medieval towers flanking the Leie bridge.
- The beguinage - white houses around lanes behind a gate.
- Texture flax museum - the linen trade the city was built on.
- A Van Dyck in Our Lady - the painting in the church chapel.
When to go
April to October. A day. Museums close on Mondays. The riverside has been redeveloped and is pleasant in summer. Kortrijk is an easy stop between Ghent and Lille.
Good to know
Much of the centre was destroyed in the wars and rebuilt, so the historic fabric is patchy. Museums are small. Interpretation is largely in Dutch. The city is a working commercial centre rather than a preserved one.
Nearby
Oudenaarde is east; Lille lies south across the French border.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q12995, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Kortrijk
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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