It’s easy to walk straight past the entrance to Kortrijk’s Begijnhof. A small gate leads into a hidden warren of cobbled lanes lined with old whitewashed houses. A statue near the entrance represents Johanna of Constantinople who founded the Begijnhof in 1238.
You find enclosed communities like this in many Flemish and Dutch cities. Sheltered behind high walls, they were protected places, like towns within towns. They were originally built for single women who belonged to the order of Beguines.
The last member of the order died in Kortrijk in 2013. The complex was recently restored to create affordable local housing, but a tiny dwelling next to the gate has been preserved as a small museum. You can peer through the windows to see inside the simple reconstructed rooms.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
