Kortrijk Beguinage

The Saint Elizabeth Beguinage of Kortrijk is one of the thirteen Flemish beguinages that are UNESCO World Heritage. It was founded in 1238 by Countess Joanna of Constantinople and largely retains its medieval structure with 40 whitewashed houses around a central chapel. The beguinage has an intimate, contemplative atmosphere and forms an oasis of calm in the middle of Kortrijk's city centre.

Accessibility is partial. The entrance on the Begijnhofstraat is at street level and gives direct access to the inner courtyard. The central paths are paved with cobblestones and sometimes with irregular stones, which makes wheeling a wheelchair more difficult. There are, however, flatter strips alongside the facades. The beguinage chapel has a low threshold at the entrance and is accessible on the ground floor. The Beguinage Museum, however, has several stairs and is of limited accessibility.

A public adapted toilet is available in the nearby Historic Houses visitor centre on the Grote Markt. Disabled parking spaces are found in the Schouwburg and K car parks. The beguinage is a few minutes' rolling distance from the Belfry, Saint Martin's Church, and the Broel Museum, making a historical-cultural walk through Kortrijk very feasible.