"Flemish Beguinages." Top 5 Page for this destination Kortrijk Things to Do Tip by breughel

The Begijnhof - Béguinage of Kortrijk is one of the 26 Flemish Béguinages on the UNESCO List of World Heritage. Most Flemish towns have one, sometimes two, Begijnhoven-Béguinages.
They are architectural ensembles in specific Flemish style composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces in which lived Begijnen-Béguines.
They were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. They were founded in the 13th century in the present Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Northern France. Except two in Holland, the preserved beguinages are all located in the Flemish part of Belgium. There are no beguines anymore(*) and the beguinages have been transformed in museums, cultural centres, artist ateliers, residences for old people or flats for students like in Leuven. The one of Brugge is now a convent.
With 42 houses the Begijnhof of Kortrijk is a medium sized one. The large ones have about 100 houses. The largest in Lier has 162 houses in 11 streets!

(*) Actually there is one beguine, born in 1920, from Kortrijk, still alive but she lives no more in the Begijnhof but in a hospital in Kortrijk.