The Grote Markt of Kortrijk is the central square in the Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 city of Kortrijk

Kortrijk

Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...

.

Its location on the crossing of some of Kortrijk's most famous and most touristic spots makes the Grote Markt one of the city's busiest squares. However, it has been pedestrian-friendly after its renewal in 1999-2000 since the largest part of the square is now a pedestrian area.

History

The square got its current shape and surface after the demolition of the old Cloths Halls around the still existing Kortrijk Belfry

Belfry

The term belfry has a variety of uses:*Bell tower, an architectural term*Belfry, a type of medieval siege tower*Belfry, Montana, a town in the United States*The Belfry, an English golf club...

. Its L-shaped form is due to the contours of the Medieval Castle of Kortrijk which used to border the eastern side of the current square.

Events

The Grote Markt is often used for cultural and other events, as is the case for Kortrijk's other big squares, such as the Schouwburgplein

Schouwburgplein (Kortrijk)

The Schouwburgplein is situated in the heart of the city of Kortrijk, Belgium, and is flanked by the municipal theatre and several historic buildings...

(Theatre Square) and the Veemarkt.

Annually events that are organised on the Grote Markt include:

• Paasfoor
• Sinksenfeesten
• Summer Carnival
• Vlastreffen

Every Monday morning, the food- and clothes market is held on the Grote Markt.