Hostellerie Klokhof

Crocodile Pharmacy.

by breughel

It is well known that Belgium is the capital of surrealism not only in art but also in politics and even daily life. Nevertheless a drugstore called "Crocodile" is not so common.

As the place was closed I couldn't ask the origin of the name.

City Wall Towers

by Martin_S.

In many of the Belgian towns you can see extensive remains of city walls, tower and defensive arrangements, but here in Kortrijk all that remains are these two towers, built in the 12th and 13th century.
Also included in this pic are Lea and Patrick, our Belgian friends and guides, and Zohara.

The Groeningegate

by MATIM

The Groeningegate is a remember monument build for the 600 birthday of the Guldensproenslag (battle).
It's the enterance to the Groeninepark.

De Groeningepoort is een herdenkingsmonument in de Belgische stad Kortrijk. De triomfboog werd gebouwd naar aanleiding van de 600ste verjaardag van de Guldensporenslag en geeft toegang tot het Groeningepark waar tijdens de middeleeuwen het Groeningeveld lag. In dit Groeningepark bevindt zich tevens het vergulde Groeningemonument. De Groeningepoort werd in 1908 in Ardense steen opgetrokken en draagt als opschrift 1302 – Groeningheveld.

Golden spurs are replicas.

by breughel

Several hundreds of golden spurs belonging to French knights who lost life at the battle of the Groeningekouter in 1302 were hung at the vault of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw church.
Not for long, in 1382 French mercenaries who had defeated the militias of Gent at the battle of Westrozebeke plundered the church and stole the golden spurs. Those we see now are replicas.
Westrozebeke was another feudal battle as there were so many in Flanders; this time Filip van Artevelde at the head of the revolted people from Gent (who lost the battle) fought the French army commanded by Philippe le Hardi - Philip the Bold duke of Burgundy and son in law of the count of Flanders Lodewijk II van Male.

The misfortunes of the church continued with plundering and destruction in 1578 by the Dutch Geuzen (Beggars). In 1797 French troops invaded Kortrijk and plundered again the church. This was not the end: in 1944 the Germans did steel the 6 ton clock and a few months later the church and the town were bombed.

I presume that the golden spurs we see now were hung on the vaults after WW II.

KORTRIJK VT MEETING 9th MAY 2009

by breughel

"The richest people of Belgium"

What I like with the West Flanders VT meetings is that they take me to places where I have never been. OK, I knew all industrial areas around Kortrijk but nothing from the historical centre.

Thank you Filip, Jean-Pierre and Patje (with his wonderful West Flemish accent) for the perfect organization (as usual) of this meeting.

We Belgians know that the people of Kortrijk and West Flanders are among the richest in Belgium. I therefore wondered if this car (a Packard) parked in front of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk belongs to Filip, Jean-Pierre or Patje?

Feeling a bit lazy, my reviews on Kortrijk will be of the extra light type.