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Belgium

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West Flanders

Church of Our Lady

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Belgium

Flanders

West Flanders

Church of Our Lady

Recommended by 80 hikers out of 86

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Location: West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Church of Our Lady

4.5

(77)

618

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1. Broeltorens and Leie Embankments – Groeninge Gate loop from Marke

7.10km

01:49

30m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.5

(59)

457

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2. View of the Broel Towers – Broeltorens and Leie Embankments loop from Begijnhof Sint-Elisabeth

7.44km

01:55

30m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.3

(11)

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3. Groeninge Gate – Broeltorens and Leie Embankments loop from Kortrijk

12.6km

03:15

50m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Katrien

August 29, 2021

The construction of the Church of Our Lady was started in 1199 on the initiative of Count Boudewijn IX. The church was located within the count's domain of Kortrijk, which was completely walled and walled, with the exception of a part on the Leie. The west facade, the nave and the transept remain of this early Gothic church. The towers were built at the end of the 13th century. After the battle of Westrozebeke in 1382, the church was largely destroyed and rebuilt. Later the interior was decorated in Baroque style.

After the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, which took place nearby on the Groeningeveld, the Flemish hung five hundred guilder spurs of slain French knights in the choir as a thank you to Our Lady of Groeninge. Breton mercenaries took them, along with other valuables, after the battle of Westrozebeke in 1382. The traces were later replaced by copies, which are still present in the church. The Church of Our Lady is home to a number of art treasures, such as Antoon van Dijck's 'Establishment of the Cross'.

In 1370, Count Lodewijk van Male built the Counts' Chapel as a mausoleum for himself. In the chapel you will find the beautiful wall paintings of the counts of Flanders and the statue of Saint Catherine (a recognized masterpiece). The stained glass windows accentuate the count's character of the church: the counts of Flanders, knights in armor during the Battle of the Golden Spurs, and so on.

Did you know:

Philip of Alsace brought the relic of the Sacred Hair with him during the Third Crusade? This relic is kept in the Church of Our Lady. In the past, the Holy Hair Procession was held annually in Kortrijk.

Guido Gezelle was curate of the parish between 1872 and 1889.

Source: toerismekortrijk.be/nl/onze-lieve-vrouwekerk-en-gravenkapel

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Dominiek Van Dooren

June 9, 2025

The oldest parts of this early Gothic collegiate church date from the mid-13th century. The choir was replaced by a new one after 1300, with an ambulatory and side chapels. After the Battle of Westrozebeke (1382), the church was badly damaged and largely rebuilt. Other renovations took place in the 16th and 17th centuries and after the Second World War. The interior was built in a rich Baroque style in the 17th century, after the iconoclasm. On the south side is the Count's Chapel, built by Lodewijk van Male in 1370. The niches contain paintings of the former rulers of the County of Flanders.

The church stood on the count's domain. In 1300, this place was occupied by French troops and fortified into a fortress. After the Bruges Matins, Flemish troops came to besiege the castle. On 11 July 1302, the conflict with France reached a peak. You can relive the story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs here in the permanent exhibition '1302: Uprising, Battle, Turning Point'.

(Information board on site)

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Viviane

April 16, 2023

The Church of Our Lady is a church in the historic city center of Kortrijk, Belgium. It is a collegiate church that was founded in 1199-1211 by Count Baldwin IX of Flanders within the enclosure of his count's castle. The portal and choir were reconstructed in the 18th century. An Elevation of the Cross by Anthony van Dyck hangs in the chapel behind the choir. The Counts' Chapel was built against the church in 1373 and contains murals of the counts and countesses of Flanders up to and including Emperor Francis II. Most, if not all, were partly erased, but they were restored in a historicist style in the 19th century. Since 2022, the church has had a mixed use and the experience center about the Battle of the Golden Spurs is located there, the successor to Kortrijk 1302..

The Church of Our Lady has been a protected monument since 1937.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 70 m

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Monday 15 September

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Take Me There

Location: West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

Church of Our Lady

1. Broeltorens and Leie Embankments – Groeninge Gate loop from Marke

2. View of the Broel Towers – Broeltorens and Leie Embankments loop from Begijnhof Sint-Elisabeth

3. Groeninge Gate – Broeltorens and Leie Embankments loop from Kortrijk

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