Kortrijk

One of the largest towns in the southwest end of Flanders province, Kortrijk is steeped in history. One can trace its origins back to a Gallo-Roman settlement named Cortoriacum. In the Middle Ages, Kortrijk flourished owing to the thriving wool and flax industries and emerged as one of the most prosperous town of the province. Its landscape is a motley of medieval and modern structures, accentuated with some of the most bustling shopping quarters of the world. It was Belgium's first town to have its own shopper's street, known as Korte Steenstraat. It also remains popular as a beer tourism spot, with a number of small breweries tucked in various corners of the city.