GP79 Kortrijk (Courtrai) Bridge, Belgium by Keith Rodgerson

Epic 100

Kortrijk lies in the Belgian Province of West Flanders, on the river Leie. Kortrijk dates from Roman times, when it was called Cortoriacum. Destroyed by the Normans, it was rebuilt in the 10th century by Baldwin III, count of Flanders. The town became an important center of trade and at its height had a population of about 200,000

The river Leie comes from France and enters Kortrijk on the site of the "Broeltorens", two medieval towers that are the only remaining witnesses of the former city fortifications, destroyed in 1684 by the troops of Louis XIV of France. Both towers date from the 12th and 13th century. The region alongside the river Leie, between Kortrijk and the city of Deinze, is known for the flax production. The water of the river has the perfect degree of acidity to water-ret the flax. Kortrijk has devoted a entire museum to this industry, the Museum of Flax and Linen.

Nowadays, Kortrijk is a very dynamic city of about 80.000 inhabitants with a solid entrepreneurial image and flair. The KULAK university is a local branch of the K.U.L university of Leuven.