Belfry of Kortrijk

Medieval bell tower on the Grote Markt, survivor of centuries of Flemish history

The Belfry of Kortrijk rises from the Grote Markt and has dominated the city's skyline since the 14th century. It is a UNESCO-listed monument (as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France) and one of the most important examples of Flemish civic architecture in West Flanders. The tower can be climbed for good views over the city and the surrounding countryside.

Open most days; hours vary seasonally. Admission is modest. The belfry is best seen from across the Grote Markt, where the guild houses and the city hall form a backdrop that has changed remarkably little since medieval times.

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A story
The Kortrijk belfry was built in 1302 — the same year as the Battle of the Golden Spurs — as a symbol of the city's hard-won autonomy from French overlordship. The bell it originally housed was rung to summon citizens to assembly, to announce market days, and to raise the alarm in times of danger. The tower was badly damaged in the First World War and carefully restored in the 1920s.

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