Belfry

Belfry tower, located in the middle of the Market Square. On the southeastern side marked by the war memorial of the First World War.
The belfry was part of the small or old hall. The hall building actually consisted of two parts: the belfry, called Halletoren or "het Halleke", and the cloth hall itself. After the commissioning of the Nieuwe or Grote Hallen in 1540, built by the Antwerp resident Pieter Theels on the current Schouwburgplein, it was only used for the retail of all kinds of goods during the Monday and annual markets.
The current appearance of the Halletoren was mainly determined in 1520 with the reconstruction of the upper part and in 1899 with the demolition of the surrounding buildings.
(Inventory of Immovable Heritage)

The belfry stands in the middle of the Grote Markt and was part of the former cloth hall. The oldest mention of the cloth hall dates back to 1248. The belfry is an imposing square tower, slightly recessed into the market square. This is due to the increase in the market over the centuries. The current appearance of the tower was mainly determined in 1520 with the reconstruction of the upper part of the tower, and in 1899 with the demolition of the surrounding buildings. On the spire is a gilded statue of Mercury (the god of commerce) from 1712, and on the front are Manten and Kalle, the two figures that strike the hour. On the southeastern side you will find the war memorial of the First World War, unveiled on July 15, 1923. The tower was already protected as a monument in 1937.



Location: Grote Markt

Open: The belfry can only be visited with a guide.

Did you know:
the original butcher (Manten) in 1382 was taken as spoils of war by Philip the Bold and given to the city of Dijon? There, the butcher of the hour adorns the tower of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk. He gained an entire family, and the figures are known as 'les Jacquemarts de Courtrai'.

Source: toerismekortrijk.be/nl/belfort

The Belfry of Kortrijk, or the hall tower, stands on the Grote Markt of the Belgian city of Kortrijk. The belfry tower was part of the medieval "old" or "little" Cloth Hall dating from 1411. The tower now leans slightly. The belfry of Kortrijk has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since December 4, 1999 as part of the Belfries in Belgium and France included as a group.