Crewraik we visited purposefully, an interesting town with an ancient history. The fact is that after Belgium, we went to France (Lille), and Kortroik Located in Western Flanders (or more specifically, in the south-west) in just seven kilometers from her. The name of the river - foxes, one of the famous images in the photo from Kortrijka is just a bridge over the foxes with two towers. The town is a little less than millennium, founded by the Romans.
Before visiting such cities, we always preliminarily draw up a plan, sometimes I even print the card and I already make a note with a handle that and why I am interested in this place. In the corruption of such places on my map there were several, I will share information about them in this revocation.
Central or Market Square (GROTE MARKT) - The first point of the plan and the beginning of our excursion. The choice is not accidental, it is here that there are as many three architectural monuments related to the middle ages, the time of prosperity of the cloudy industry in Flanders. Most likely the first to attract attention Town Hall.
Of course, at such a scale to consider hard, but on the facade you can see sculptural images. On the first floor there was a court room before. The fate of non-individual citizens was solved on the second floor, and the whole people were made here. That is, in fact, the appointment of the building was not particularly changed. I have no detailed data, how much time was the construction of the building, but even a quick glance is enough to understand that at least the minimum was rebuilt or completed. Obviously, the main dominant direction in the architecture of the Town Hall - Gothic, but since there are signs and early renaissance, then there are all the reasons to assume that different architects put a hand here. Having got inside. You will be very surprised - the atmosphere of the XVI century has been preserved in the town hall, furniture, interior, paintings, sculptures, there are even detailed map of the city dated by the XVII century.
Next memorable for the city building Bell tower , Certificate of the heyday of the cloth industry, it is the only construction of the surviving sincere. This is part of the cloth rows, the inhabitants have given the tribute to God for the God of Trading Mercury, strengthening his statue.
From the Northern Side Square - the third attraction - Church of St. Martin , built at the end of the XIII century, after a fire at the end of the XIV, was rebuilt, and after the fire at the end of the XVII century acquired its own Gothic turret with 49 bells. For tourists it works from two to five days, so try to pick up the time to get inside.
Inside the flemish painters, stained glass, treasury, sculptural composition, and the interior itself deserves attention. Get to the altar, there on the left side of Triptych Van Bernard, the backlight on the right side is turned on.
Almost close to the church (almost the adjoined to it) is another interesting place - Fearing Saint Elizabeth . Beginage is a community of lonely runways (heard them called "Begini"), I spent a parallel with female monasteries for myself, I can't say that I am right and distort the essence of the phenomenon, but the houses themselves even (white and modest) characterize the community residents as Ascetic and pious. It was based on the settlement was in the XIII century, as the shelter with the ability to work for women whose husbands were killed in the war, but because of the destruction was almost completely rebuilt in XVII. The Church of Our Lady of the XV century is located on the territory (she made some confusion in my plans, it turned out that there are two of them), right next to her a monument from bronze local resident who became "Begink". The houses currently can be rented for living, the cost could not find out.
The second building of the Church of Our Lady is a little further and built in the XII century, this is the tomb of the graphs of the FLAND. Very nice inside, stained glass, painted floor, kaleidoscope of paints on the walls with a gorgeous painting, at one time there were "golden spurs" after the battle of the same name, but later they were kidnapped and replaced copies. As in the Christian Orthodox churches of our Motherland, here on the left side the place to remember the departed, there are several burials and the canvas of the famous painter Wang Dequee.
Just north are famous Towers Broul , well-preserved parts of the defensive fortifications of the city.
From them along the river ten minutes before the next monument, the big arc in the form of the gate, the park and in it the statue of a woman, this is a monument in memory of Battle of Golden Schap . Unarmed local residents in the XIII century won a brilliant victory over the armed army of the knights. At the feet of the monument, defeated knights, in the hands of the lion and some kind of weapon, the sculpture was performed "under gold."
All a leisurely hike with breakfast and lunch took us a whole day, but this is because we returned to the central square twice. It can not be called neither tiring nor considerable, almost all monuments can be examined for free.