Kortrijk – A City of Battles
Kortrijk is a city that has known the presence of war. Those so inclined can relive the glory and defeat of battles just beyond the steps of your Kortrijik hotel. It is as easy as stepping onto the streets of the historic centre and heading towards the city’s park.
The Famous Battle of the Golden Spears
The most famous battle connected to Kortrijk is the Battle of the Golden Spurs. On July 11, 1302, on the fields of the Groeningekouter, several groups of foot soldiers defeated an army of French Knights led by Robert, Count of Artois. For the very first time in recorded history, foot soldiers had defeated men on horseback. The battle cemented Flemish allegiance to England and marked ongoing battles by the Flemish for independence from France.
In the heat of victory, Flemish weavers gathered some 700 knights’ spurs and brought them to Kortrijik. Here, they hung them in triumph in the Church of Our Lady. The French later removed them after crushing the Flemish in 1302, but the Battle of the Golden spurs remains a holiday celebrated throughout Flanders.
In town, just outside the centre, you will find a monument dedicated to the battle. Created by Godfried Devreese, this gilded statue of a Virgin representing Flanders, was placed in Groenige Park in 1906. It commemorates the 600th anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs. If you plan to visit the park on July 11, make sure you book a Kortrijk hotel in advance. This is a busy time for the city.
The War Memorial
Another monument to war in the city is found near the Belfry. The Belfry is the sole portion remaining of the city’s medieval Cloth Halls. An addition to the peak of the building in the 18th century is the statue of Mercury – the God of commerce and trade. A clock completes the structure. On every hour, two folklore characters of the city, Manten and Kalle appear. The Belfry and the war monument are within walking distances of any centrally located Kortrijk hotel.
World War I – Iper and Passendale
If you want to uncover the not-so-glorious past of war, you need only take a short jaunt outside the city. Several kilometres beyond the walls of your Kortrijk hotel lie the cities of Ipers (Ypres) and Passendale (Passchendaele). Within their surroundings, you will find several museums and cemeteries dedicated to the remembrance of the fight. In this area of Flanders you can visit 170 military cemeteries. At Tyne Cot, a British cemetery, a curving wall provides you with the names of around 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers missing, presumed dead – and for whom no bodies have ever been recovered. A feature of the cemetery is a large German pillbox bunker, atop which rests a large cross.
Passendale is home to the Memorial Museum, Passchendaele 1917. It first opened in 2004. The museum contains memorabilia ranging from documents and photos to uniforms and weaponry. Inside, as well, is a recreation of the Third Battle of Iper.
In Iper, a must see is the interactive and highly acclaimed Flanders Fields Museum. It is in the city’s Grote Markt. The Museum takes over the space once occupied by the Cloth Hall (Lakenhallen), although the building is a reconstruction of the original building constructed in 1304. In fact, most of the city was forced to rebuild after the damages wrought by both wars.
The Flanders Fields Museum pays homage to the soldiers of World War I. It also is a social and cultural commentary on the power of wars. The visitor receives a card bearing the name, description and details of either a soldier or citizen who lived during World War I. They walk in his or her footsteps experiencing the war as they would have known it. This engrossing museum realistically and humanely portrays all aspects of war. Computer screens light up, sound echoes, videos play and scale models enact war with its barrage of noise, rattling of weaponry, far too many casualties, and battles that go on-and-on.
All of the city’s wonderful monuments and museums are in easy reach of your Kortrijk hotel, so there is no excuse for not delving into a bit of history while you’re there.
Looking for a Kortrijk hotel Roberta Stuart is the Travel Manager for World Hotels, a company offering the best rooms at a Kortrijk hotel and a selection of unique and four and five star hotels around the world.
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