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Welcome to Kortrijk, a lovely place in Belgium with a lot of history! If you’re looking for the perfect mixture of relaxation, shopping and good food, this 2-day itinerary is just perfect for you.
There are so many things to do in this city and it has so many beautiful sightings that you’ll absolutely fall in love with this city! In conclusion, I had the best time exploring this city and now I want to share it with you in this memorable 2-day itinerary.
For your information, all these pictures were taken in February 2024.
Kortrijk is located in western Belgium and is a centre city of West-Vlaanderen. The river ‘the Leie’ goes straight to the city, which makes the beautiful scenery around the famous Broel towers. Kortrijk has around 80.000 habitants, which makes it the second biggest city in West-Vlaanderen. The city also borders closely to the French border and city Lille.
Belgium is located in western central Europe and borders Germany, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg. The United Kingdom is a sea border. As it’s pretty central in Europe and has a heavily visited capital, the country is quite easy to visit.
The roads in Belgium are pretty good and well marked, so the easiest way to reach Kortrijk is by car. Just know that visiting a city by car can be expensive for parking. You can also reach the city center by train as there is a station!
The train system is good equipped and is the most enjoyable way to travel around Belgium! No matter the destination in the country, you will be there in no time!
Other public transportations you can take around Belgium are buses and metros, but these are more used in the city center.
So, traveling with public transportation can be easily done from anywhere in Belgium, but know that it will take more time. The best is to look it up online before going to the city. Find more information about the train here and the bus here.
Kortrijk lies close to other cities like Ghent or Bruges and is quite easy to reach from different places around the country. The drive took me around one hour and went by so smoothly.
I stayed at hotel Damier for my 1-night stay in Kortrijk and it was the perfect hotel for this short trip! The hotel is so close to most sights. The hotel also offered breakfast and it was such a big buffet that it was hard to choose. And as a bonus, the hotel has free parking for your car! Perfect to just come with your car.
K in Kortrijk is perfect to start your weekend in the city! This shopping center is located in the middle of Kortrijk and has over 80 stores inside! Perfect for a day of shopping. It also has an underground parking, for if you only want to come shopping in the city.
In the middle of the city Kortrijk, we ate a delicious meal at L’Osteria. This is an Italian restaurant that serves the best pizza’s (pasta too, but I didn’t try it). And as a bonus, if you sit outside, you’ll have a great view over Saint Martin’s Church, which you will visit tomorrow!
The second day of this trip is all about exploring the city itself! But first, let yourself indulge in the big breakfast buffet of hotel Damier!
Once you step outside your hotel, you’ll stumble upon the Central Square of Kortrijk (Grote Markt)! There are a lot of terraces and restaurants to relax a bit, but there is more! At the square, you have the best view over the Saint Martin’s Church and the Belfort!
The Belfry of Kortrijk (Belfort van Kortrijk) is a remnant of a medieval cloth hall from 1411. It has a carillon with 48 bells inside the tower, which is not possible to visit. These bells had a specific meaning like opening and closing the city gates for example. It now is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Sadly, you only can admire this historic building from the outside.
The Saint Martin’s Church (Sint-Maartenskerk) is the main church of Kortrijk and is very impressive! The 19th century tower can be seen from a lot of places around the city, but mainly from the Main Square. The church is from the 12th century, but was destroyed through centuries. It was rebuilt into the building we know today
It’s possible to visit the tower for free! You just need to book the tickets via your phone or at the information center. Here, you’ll get a QR-code to visit the top by climbing 264 steps. As a reward, at the top awaits the most stunning view over the city!
If you pass by the Schouwburgplein, the first thing you’ll notice are the strange twists and turns at this square. These weird metal arches, which goes by the name ‘the golf’ are made by a Belgian artists called Olivier Strebelle.
The Baggaertshof is such a cute place that can easily be missed if you don’t know about this place. It was founded in 1638 by Joossine Baggaert and consists of 13 houses for poor widows and orphans. Now, the houses together with the chapel surrounds a herb garden with over 200 different kind of herbs.
Take a look at the Groeningepark, which is both a park and a memorial site for the the battle of the golden spurs (Guldensporenslag). The triumphal arch is prove of that as it’s built for the 600th birthday of this battle and stands at the exact same place as the medieval Groeninge field.
The Beguinage (Begijnhof) of Kortrijk is closely located from the Central Market Square and once you step inside here, you almost forget that you’re in the middle of a city as it’s so peaceful. It’s founded at 1238 and consists of 41 white houses next to each other. As of the Belfry, the Beguinage is also on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This church (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is a very important part of the battle of the golden spurs as some of the oldest parts of the church dates back to the 13th century. Inside the church, you can follow a good organised interactive film about the battle, which brings you back to 1302.
Time to see the most famous landmark of the city in Kortrijk, namely the Broel Towers (Broeltorens). The name originates from bruul, which is a demarcated low land, which was adjacent during the Middle Ages. These towers are the only remains of the old city fortress. This location is perfect for taking pictures nowadays or to relax as there are many different restaurants!
The Buda-island is established because the Leie splitst the city into 2 pieces and comes together later on, which made this island. In this part of the city, you’ll find lots of creative locations, like the Budatower (production house for artists), the Budascoop (non-commercial cinema), a Buda-beach, and many more!
The King Albert Park is a small park in the middle of the city next to the Leie. Here, you can just wander around or rest on a bench. You also see the National Leiemonument, to remember the fallen soldiers of the 1940 Battle of the Leie.
Hopefully, I got to inspire you to visit this city in Belgium. I atleast had a very great time exploring a part of my own home country I never been before!
With lots of love,
Ellen
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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