Municipality in Flemish Region, Belgium
City and municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium
Kortrijk
(
KORT
-ryke
,
[2]
Dutch:
[?k?rtr?ik]
ⓘ
;
West Flemish
:
Kortryk
or
Kortrik
;
French
:
Courtrai
[ku?t??]
;
Latin
:
Cortoriacum
), sometimes known in English as
Courtrai
or
Courtray
[3]
[4]
(
koor-
TRAY
),
[2]
is a Belgian
city
and
municipality
in the
Flemish
province
of
West Flanders
.
With its 79,000 inhabitants (2023) Kortrijk is the capital and largest city of the judicial and administrative
arrondissement of Kortrijk
. The wider municipality comprises the city of Courtrai proper and the villages of
Aalbeke
,
Bellegem
,
Bissegem
,
Heule
,
Kooigem
,
Marke
, and
Rollegem
. Courtrai is also part of the cross-border
Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai
metropolitan area.
[5]
[6]
The city is on the river
Leie
, 42 km (26 mi) southwest of
Ghent
and 25 km (16 mi) northeast of
Lille
.
Mouscron
in
Wallonia
is just south of Courtrai.
[7]
Courtrai originated from a Gallo-Roman town,
Cortoriacum
,
[8]
at a crossroads near the Leie river and two Roman roads. In the
Middle Ages
, Courtrai grew significantly thanks to the
flax
and
wool
industry with France and England and became one of the biggest and richest cities in
Flanders
. 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
which took place on 11 July 1302 on the
Fields of Groeninge
in Courtrai. In 1820 the
Treaty of Kortrijk
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
[
edit
]
Name
[
edit
]
The Latin name
Cortoriacum
[8]
means the settlement near the curb in the river.
[
citation needed
]
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
[
edit
]
Findings from an archeological dig in 1950 in which remains of three Roman
funeral pyres
were found
[9]
suggest that the
vicus
was used as an encampment by the Romans during their
invasion of Britain in AD 43
.
Cortoriacum
was a larger
Gallo-Roman
vicus
of
civitas
Menapiorum
at an important crossroads near the
Lys
river of the Roman roads linking
Tongeren
and
Cassel
and
Tournai
and
Oudenburg
. It was first mentioned in a document from the 4th or 5th century called
Notitia Dignitatum
where the cortoriacenses (cavalry) troops were mentioned. In the 9th century,
Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
established fortifications against the
Vikings
. The town gained its
city charter
in 1190 from
Philip, Count of Flanders
. The population growth required new
defensive walls
, part of which can still be seen today (the
Broeltorens
,
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.
In the 13th century, the battles between
Fernando of Portugal, Count of Flanders
and his first cousin, King
Louis VIII of France
, 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
exempted settlers in Courtrai from
property tax
.
[10]
From that time, Kortrijk gained great importance as a center of
linen
production.
Battle of the Golden Spurs
[
edit
]
In 1302, the population of
Bruges
started a successful uprising against the French, who had annexed
Flanders
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
Battle of the Golden Spurs
(Dutch:
Guldensporenslag
), between the
Flemish people
, mostly commoners and farmers, and
Philip the Fair
's knights took place near Courtrai on 11 July, resulting in a victory for Flanders;
[11]
the date is commemorated as a national holiday by the
Flemish community
.
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)
.
Louis I's son
Louis II
lost the city to a Flemish uprising led by
Philip van Artevelde
in 1381, but the Flemish were later decisively defeated at the 1382
Battle of Roosebeke
by Louis II with French support, resulting in a new wave of plundering and destruction.
15th century to modern times
[
edit
]
Most of the 15th century was prosperous under the
Dukes of Burgundy
, until the death of the Burgundian heiress
Mary of Burgundy
in 1482, which ushered in renewed fighting with France.
The 16th century was marked by the confrontations engendered by the
Reformation
and the uprising of the Netherlands against Spain.
Louis XIV
's reign saw Courtrai occupied by the French five times in sixty years and its former fortifications razed. The
Treaty of Utrecht
assigned the area to the Austrian Habsburgs.
After the
French Revolution
and the
Napoleonic
era, the textile industry, based on
flax
, 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
dropped over 5,000 bombs on the city center.
[12]
Many historical buildings on the central square, as well as the old railway station, were destroyed.
Battle of Courtrai
[
edit
]
Battles fought there in 1302, 1382, 1580, 1793, 1794, 1814, 1815, and
1918
have each been called
Battle of Courtrai
.
Geography
[
edit
]
Municipality
[
edit
]
After the 1977 fusion the city is made up of:
Neighbouring municipalities
[
edit
]
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.
|
|
Climate
[
edit
]
Kortrijk has an
oceanic climate
(
Koppen
Cfb
).
Climate data for Kortrijk (1981?2010 normals, sunshine 1984?2013)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
6.9
(44.4)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
14.3
(57.7)
|
18.1
(64.6)
|
20.7
(69.3)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
19.6
(67.3)
|
15.2
(59.4)
|
9.9
(49.8)
|
6.4
(43.5)
|
14.6
(58.3)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
3.5
(38.3)
|
3.8
(38.8)
|
6.7
(44.1)
|
9.4
(48.9)
|
13.2
(55.8)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
18.2
(64.8)
|
18.1
(64.6)
|
14.9
(58.8)
|
11.2
(52.2)
|
7.0
(44.6)
|
4.0
(39.2)
|
10.5
(50.9)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
0.8
(33.4)
|
0.6
(33.1)
|
2.8
(37.0)
|
4.5
(40.1)
|
8.5
(47.3)
|
11.4
(52.5)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
13.0
(55.4)
|
10.3
(50.5)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
4.0
(39.2)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
6.6
(43.9)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
70.2
(2.76)
|
54.9
(2.16)
|
63.6
(2.50)
|
50.5
(1.99)
|
63.7
(2.51)
|
71.9
(2.83)
|
76.3
(3.00)
|
71.3
(2.81)
|
68.4
(2.69)
|
77.1
(3.04)
|
81.1
(3.19)
|
80.1
(3.15)
|
829.2
(32.65)
|
Average precipitation days
|
12.7
|
10.6
|
12.3
|
9.9
|
11.1
|
10.1
|
10.1
|
9.5
|
10.7
|
11.9
|
13.3
|
13.0
|
135.3
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
59
|
79
|
122
|
177
|
205
|
200
|
214
|
202
|
149
|
119
|
65
|
49
|
1,639
|
Source:
Royal Meteorological Institute
[13]
|
Main sights
[
edit
]
Architecture
[
edit
]
Much of the city's
medieval
architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. The city centre is one of the largest
car-free areas
in Belgium. The beguinage, as well as the
belfry
, have each been recognized by
UNESCO
as
World Heritage Sites
.
Interesting highlights are:
Civil
[
edit
]
Religious
[
edit
]
- 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
. Its 83-meter (272 feet) tower remains the highest building in the city.
- The
beguinage
is one of the quaintest sites in the city. It too, was listed by
UNESCO
as a
World Heritage Site
, on the list of "Flemish Beguinages".
[15]
- 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
.
- the Count’s chapel (
Gravenkapel
), built after the example of la
Sainte Chapelle
in Paris as
shrine
for
Louis II of Flanders
.
- Saint-Michaelschurch; a church of the
Society of Jesus
- Saint-Johnschurch in the St.-Johnsquarter; a
Neo-Gothic
basilica
- 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
- Saint-Annechurch
- Saint-Theresiachurch
- Father Damienchurch
Museums
[
edit
]
Museums in Courtrai include:
- Kortrijk 1302: seven centuries in one day
, a historic museum about the famous
Battle of the Golden Spurs
, which gave Flanders its official holiday (11 July)
- Broelmuseum
(Museum of Fine Arts and archaeological museum), with paintings by
Roelant Savery
and international
Ceramic
.
- National
Flax
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 beguinage.
- 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
[
edit
]
Road
[
edit
]
Courtrai lies at the intersection of three highways:
- The
E17
: connects Courtrai with
Ghent
,
Sint-Niklaas
and
Antwerp
to the northeast, and with
Lille
and
Paris
to the south-west.
- The
E403
: connects Courtrai with
Bruges
and
Ostend
to the north, and with
Tournai
,
Mons
and
Charleroi
to the south-east.
- The Belgian highway A19: connects Courtrai with
Ypres
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,
E403
and
E17
roads.
- The R36: connects the different downtown quarters with each other, and provides access to the main avenues.
Railway
[
edit
]
- The municipality of Courtrai has two railway stations:
Public city transport
[
edit
]
Kortrijk has an extensive web of public transport lines, operated by
De Lijn
, providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines,
Dutch
:
stadslijnen
) and to many towns and villages in the region around the city (regional lines,
Dutch
:
streeklijnen
).
- City buses
:
- Line 1: Station ?
Kortrijk Xpo
?
Kinepolis
? 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
Kortrijk main railway station
, there is a bus station where regional buses stop as well.
Airport
[
edit
]
Waterways
[
edit
]
The
river Lys
(Leie) is an important way of transporting goods through
inland navigation
. The
Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal
enables in the city centre a direct connection with the river
Scheldt
.
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.
[
citation needed
]
[16]
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
Broel Towers
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
[
edit
]
Several small streams or
Beken
in and around Courtrai were of significant topological, historical and Geological value.
[17]
- 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
[18]
mentions only the
Mosscher
as a single toponym. It was also mentioned in almost full length on the
Deventer Map
.
[19]
- Groeninghe
(first mentioned as
Groeninc
in 1412
[
citation needed
]
) 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
[
edit
]
Cars are required to give way 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
[
edit
]
The city is historically connected with the
flax
and the textile industry, and still today the textile industry remains important in the region.
Major companies which have headquarters in Courtrai include
Cisco
and
Barco
.
Education
[
edit
]
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.
[20]
The city also provides higher education. The
KULAK
, a campus of the
Catholic University of Leuven
, is located in on the south edge of the city, in the Hoog Kortrijk quarter. Other institutes of higher education include the
VIVES University of Applied Sciences
and
Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen
(HOWEST)
university colleges
. There is also a campus of
Ghent University
.
European cooperation
[
edit
]
Even though Courtrai is a Dutch-speaking town, it borders
Wallonia
, and is only 9 km (5.6 mi) away from the border with France. This has created an urban area that extends across linguistic and national borders. The mayors of
Lille
, Courtrai and
Tournai
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.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Group of origin
|
Year
|
2023
[22]
|
Number
|
%
|
|
|
|
Belgians with Belgian background
|
59,756
|
75.69%
|
Belgians with foreign background
|
10,794
|
13.67%
|
Neighboring country
|
1,638
|
2.07%
|
EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|
700
|
0.89%
|
Outside EU 27
|
8,456
|
10.71%
|
Non-Belgians
|
8,394
|
10.63%
|
Neighboring country
|
1,164
|
1.47%
|
EU27 (excluding neighboring country)
|
1,747
|
2.21%
|
Outside EU 27
|
5,483
|
6.95%
|
|
|
|
Total
|
78,944
|
100%
|
Culture
[
edit
]
Newspaper
[
edit
]
- Courtrai used to have its own newspaper in times of war, called
het Kortrijks Oorlogsblad
.
Music
[
edit
]
- Courtrai has widely recognised local artists, such as:
Theatres and concert venues
[
edit
]
- Courtrai has several cultural centres, each comprising different locations:
- Cultural Centre Kortrijk
- City Theatre (
De Schouwburg
), a
neo-Renaissance
architecture theatre on
Schouwburgplein
known for its
glass ceiling
, 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
[
edit
]
The city is host to some sizable cultural events such as:
- Day of the Flemish Community
(11 July)
- Golden River City Jazz Festival
(first weekend of September)
- Humorologie: cabaret festival
- Next: arts festival in the
Eurodistrict
Kortrijk-
Lille
-
Tournai
- 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 Conge (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
, Busworld and the Eurodogshow take place in the
Kortrijk Xpo
event center. These fairs attract numerous visitors to the city.
In July and August there are various boat tours on the river
Leie
.
Food
[
edit
]
Local specialities include Kalletaart (apple cake with
Calvados
), Peperbollen, biscuits, and chocolate
little beguines
. The town of
Heule
is the home of the
Picobrouwerij Alvinne
brewery, while
Bellegem
is the home of the
Bockor
brewery.
Leisure
[
edit
]
Shopping
[
edit
]
- 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
,
H&M
,
Zara
and many other clothes, food and houseware stores.
Parks
[
edit
]
- Beguinagepark
- Groeningepark, on the site of the Groeningekouter where the
Battle of Courtrai
or the
Battle of the Golden Spurs
took place. In contains the
Groeningegate
and the
Groeninge Monument
- 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
[
edit
]
Kortrijk has three official
football
clubs.
Basketball
[
edit
]
- Kortrijk Sport CB
- Basketbalteam Kortrijk
- House of Talent Spurs
- 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
,
Kuurne?Brussels?Kuurne
,
Gent?Wevelgem
, the
Tour of Flanders
and
Dwars door Vlaanderen
. Kortrijk also hosts an after-tour
criterium
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
.
Tennis
[
edit
]
- Tennis Club De Egelantier
- KZK, Kortrijkse Zwemkring, arguably the best
waterpolo
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
[
edit
]
- Emmanuel de Bethune
, former mayor (1987?1989) and (1995?2000)
[25]
- Hendrik Beyaert
,
architect
- Francis Bonaert
, architect
- John II of Brienne, Count of Eu
- Rob Claeys
, footballer
- Carl Colpaert
, director, founder of
Cineville
.
- Hendrik Conscience
, writer
- Laurence Courtois
, tennis player
- Edmee Daenen
, pop artist
- Stefaan De Clerck
, politician and former
mayor
of Kortrijk,
former Minister of Justice
- Jos De Cock
, Belgian-French painter, watercolorist, etcher and sculptor.
- Nico F. Declercq
, physicist and professor
- Gustave Leonard de Jonghe
,
portrait
painter
- Jean-Baptiste De Jonghe
,
landscape painter
- Carl de Keyzer
, photographer
- Pierre de La Rue
,
Renaissance
composer
- Sophie de Schaepdrijver
, historian
- Vincent De Vos
(1829?1875), painter
- Bruno de Witte
(1955?),
European law
Professor, European
thinker
- Ann Demeulemeester
, fashion designer
- Stijn Devolder
, road bicycle racer
- Ernest Gambart
, art publisher and dealer
- Guido Gezelle
, poet
- Robert Gillon
(1884?1972), lawyer, politician
- Piet Goddaer
, singer-composer, mostly under the name:
Ozark Henry
- Paul Goethals
(1832?1901), first
Archbishop
of
Calcutta
- The members of electro rock band
Goose
- Leif Hoste
, road bicycle racer
- Isidore of Saint Joseph
(1881?1916),
Passionist
brother,
beatified
by Pope John Paul II in 1984
- Gilles Joye
,
Franco-Flemish
composer of the
Renaissance
- Greg LeMond
, US professional cyclist ? retired
- Xavier Malisse
, tennis player
- Morris
(1923?2001), cartoonist, creator of
Lucky Luke
- Hanne Gaby Odiele
(b. 1988), model
- Tom Omey
(b. 1975), middle-distance runner
- Jan Palfyn
(1650?1730),
doctor
,
surgeon
and inventor of the
forceps
- Marcella Pattyn
, the last traditional
Beguine
- Jean-Jacques Pieters
[
nl
]
, jazz musician
- Arne Quinze
(1971?), designer and
conceptual artist
- Jan Robbe
(1980?),
electronic artist
and founder of Entity
- Louis Robbe
[
nl
]
(1806?1887),
painter
- Roelant Savery
(1576?1639), painter
- Stijn Streuvels
(1871?1969), writer
- Jacobus Vaet
,
Franco-Flemish
composer of the
Renaissance
- Guido van Gheluwe
(b. 1926), founder of the
Orde van den Prince
- Vincent Van Quickenborne
(b. 1973), former mayor of the city and former
minister of enterprise
- Gella Vandecaveye
(b. 1973),
judoka
, former world champion and Olympic silver medalist
- Stoffel Vandoorne
,
Formula E
racing driver
- Peter Verhoyen
, flautist and piccolo player
- George Washington
,
inventor
Town twinning
[
edit
]
Courtrai participates in
town twinning
to encourage good international relations.
[26]
- Bad Godesberg
, Germany, since 1964
- Cebu City
, Philippines, since 2005
- Frascati
, Italy, since 1967
- Greenville, South Carolina
, United States, since 1991
- Saint-Cloud
, France, since 1993
- Lahore
, Pakistan, since 1993
- Tashkent
, Uzbekistan, since the late 1980s
- Maidenhead
, United Kingdom, since 1981
- Wuxi
, China, since 2007
Photo gallery
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
"Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022"
. Statbel.
- ^
a
b
"Courtrai"
.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary
.
- ^
"Internet site of the town of Izegem"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 October 2008
. Retrieved
7 September
2011
.
- ^
"An inventory of locations suitable for wind energy in Flanders region"
.
Archived
from the original on 1 October 2011
. Retrieved
7 September
2011
.
- ^
List of municipalities :
http://fr.eurometropolis.eu/qui-sommes-nous/territoire.html
Archived
2015-03-21 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"EUROMETROPOLIS : Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai, the 1st European cross-bordrer metropolis"
.
Archived
from the original on 2014-09-08
. Retrieved
2014-09-08
.
- ^
(in French)
Populationdata.net
Archived
2008-10-09 at the
Wayback Machine
, Palmares des plus grandes villes du monde ? page 3
- ^
a
b
"CORTORIACUM (Courtrai) Belgium"
.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites
. Perseus Digital Library.
Archived
from the original on 2020-01-17
. Retrieved
2018-06-08
.
- ^
"Archeologisch vooronderzoek Kortrijk ? Morinnestraat"
(PDF)
.
All-Archeo
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2018-06-12
. Retrieved
2018-06-08
.
- ^
Fegley, 124
- ^
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.
- ^
From De Standaard 17/07/09
Kortrijk is bombardement na 65 jaar nog niet vergeten
- ^
"Klimaatstatistieken van de Belgische gemeenten"
(PDF)
(in Dutch).
Royal Meteorological Institute
.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 17 November 2018
. Retrieved
30 May
2018
.
- ^
UNESCO.
"Belfries of Belgium and France"
.
Archived
from the original on 2008-05-21
. Retrieved
2008-01-26
.
- ^
UNESCO.
"Flemish Beguinages"
.
Archived
from the original on 2008-03-16
. Retrieved
2008-01-26
.
- ^
AC02717376, Anonymus (1966).
Acta Historiae Neerlandica
. Brill Archive.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
p.11
- ^
Verbruggen, J. F. (2002).
The Battle of the Golden Spurs (Courtrai, 11 July 1302): A Contribution to the History of Flanders' War of Liberation, 1297-1305
. Boydell & Brewer.
ISBN
978-0-85115-888-4
.
pp. 135-150
- ^
Sanderus, Antonius (1586-1664) Cartographe (1600).
"Castellaniae Corturiacensis tabula / Ant. Sanderus"
.
Gallica
.
Archived
from the original on 2018-07-06
. Retrieved
2018-07-06
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
Deventer, 1545, Jacob van (2012-09-20),
English: Kortrijk, map by Jacob van Deventer
,
archived
from the original on 2023-07-11
, retrieved
2018-07-06
{{
citation
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"Duurzame Mobiliteit ? Stimuleer de opmaak van schoolvervoerplannen"
. Duurzamemobiliteit.be. Archived from
the original
on 2012-02-25
. Retrieved
2012-02-10
.
- ^
"Eurotowns"
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-01-29
. Retrieved
2012-11-19
.
- ^
"Origin | Statbel"
.
statbel.fgov.be
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-07-02
. Retrieved
2023-07-04
.
- ^
"Kortrijks oorlogsblad"
.
lib.ugent.be
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-11-24
. Retrieved
2020-09-28
.
- ^
"RC Curtrycke"
.
Archived
from the original on 2010-01-11
. Retrieved
2010-06-01
.
- ^
"Kortrijk betreurt het overlijden van haar ere-burgemeester"
. Kortrijk civic site. 2011.
Archived
from the original on 2 January 2013
. Retrieved
7 November
2011
.
- ^
"071218 Cubelplan 2007?2012"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on October 1, 2011
. Retrieved
2012-02-10
.
References
[
edit
]
- Fegley, R. (2002).
The Golden Spurs of Kortrijk: How the Knights of France Fell to the Foot Soldiers of Flanders in 1302, 2007
. McFarland and Company Inc.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Kortrijk
.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Kortrijk
.
Places adjacent to Kortrijk
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