Kortrijk sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. In the Middle Ages, Courtrai grew significantly thanks to the flax and wool industry with France and England and became one of the biggest and richest cities in Flanders.
The city is often referred to as City of Groeninge or City of the Golden Spurs, referring to the Battle of Courtrai or the Battle of the Golden Spurs which took place on 11 July 1302 on the Fields of Groeninge in Courtrai.
In 1820 the Treaty of Kortrijk was signed, laying out the still-current borders between France and Belgium. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the flax industry flourished and remains important within the Belgian textile industry today.
To be honest, I only knew Kortrijk due to its railway station and the direct train ways to Oostende, Bruges, Roeselare and other cities in the region. I never stayed in Kortrijk before. Huge time to search for an hotel and to book a weekend. Finally we stayed from 14 July 2023 till 17 July in this amazing city.
While chosing a hotel to stay, we always check the comfort first and then we look for a place with an amazing history or a royal destination. Hotel Damier in Kortrijk has it all!
Hotel Damier
Hotel Damier is located on Grote Markt 41 in the heart of Kortrijk. The history of Hotel Damier goes back to 1398. Then there was already talk of 'Ten Scake', which refers to a place where travelers could find a comfortable bed and a tasty meal. Then the name was corrupted into Dutch into 'Het Scaek' and 'Het Daemberd', which was translated into French as 'Damier'. The listed Rococo facade from 1769 is a beautiful example of classical architecture and has remained unchanged throughout that time. Hotel Damier is the first hotel in Belgium to be included in a worldwide collection of creative and unique Worldhotels, called 'Crafted Collection'.
From 1985 till 2011 Hotel Damier was owned by Beaulieu. This group was founded in 1959 by Roger De Clerck, originally as a fabric production business. Roger De Clerck and his family were listed on the 15th. place of the Richest Belgians. However there were a few scandals and he was accused of fiscal fraud.
Guests
When entering Hotel Damier in Kortrijk, you immediately see the portraits hanging of its famous guests. They really had some legendary visitors.
Royal visitors
Emperor Joseph II of Austria
Joseph II 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790 was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Marie Antoinette, Leopold II, Maria Carolina of Austria and Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma. He was thus the first ruler in the Austrian dominions of the union of the Houses of Habsburg and Lorraine, styled Habsburg-Lorraine.
King Leopold I of Belgium
King Leopold I actually visited lots of towns in Belgium also in Flanders. One of them was Kortrijk. There he stayed at the Damier hotel. In Kortrijk a street was named after King Leopold I of Belgium.
Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the youngest of the nine grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.
He is currently 31st in the line of succession to the British throne, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI, who was his uncle. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne.
Prince Richard practised as an architect until the death of his elder brother, William, placed him in direct line to inherit his father's dukedom of Gloucester, which he assumed in 1974. He married Birgitte van
Deurs Henriksen on 8 July 1972. They have three children.
Queen Paola of Belgium
Paola (née Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria; born 11 September 1937 is a member of the Belgian royal family who was Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, King Albert II, from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013. Now she has the title Queen of Belgium.
Princess Astrid of Belgium and Prince Lorenz of Belgium
More about Princess Astrid of Belgium on this
link.
Other Guests
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the greatest French writers of all time.
Hugo was here on November 8, 1864. This is evident from his 'carnet de voyage'. He arrived about four o'clock." Victor Hugo came to Kortrijk when he lived in exile in Belgium (Brussels). He wanted to go to Ypres and first stopped in Kortrijk.
Margaret Thatcher
Wikipedia
The former British Prime Minister was briefly in West Flanders in July 1999 for Roger De Clerck's 75th birthday. She then visited, among other things, the Flax Museum in Kortrijk.
💥 What does Margaret Thatcher thought about Roger De Clerck, read it on this
link.
President George Bush Sr.
Source picture: Wikipedia
President George Bush Sr. also attended Roger De Clerck's 75th B-Day. He stayed at Damier as well, which was then owned by Beaulieu the holding of Roger De Clerck. Later Beaulieu sold Hotel Damier.
Adamo
Source picture: Wikipedia
Salvatore, Knight Adamo (November 1, 1943) is an Belgian-Italian musician, singer and composer, who is known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Comiso, Sicily, Italy, and has lived in Belgium
since the age of three, which is why he has dual citizenship. By 1964, he was the world's best-selling artist behind The Beatles. Through his career, he sold more than 80 million albums and 20 million
singles worldwide, making him the best-selling Belgian artist of all time, and one of the most commercially successful musicians in the world.
"Dolce Paola", "Tombe la neige", "La nuit", "Vous permettez, Monsieur ?", "Inch'Allah" and "C'est ma vie" remain his best known songs. Since 2001 Adamo holds the Belgian noble title of Ridder, similar
to the English title of "Knight"
Amal Clooney
Source picture: Wikipedia
Amal Clooney has received an honorary doctorate from KU Leuven in Kortrijk. "The University pays tribute to Ms. Clooney for her commitment as a leading human rights activist, academic and advocate."
This took place in March 2023. Then she stayed at the Damier Hotel in Kortrijk.
and many more
The entrance Hall of Hotel Damier
The Ballroom
Facilities
Hotel Damier has a restaurant and a famous Cocktail bar Sprezza. It had lovely rooms (new ones and older ones) and amazing ballrooms.
However the only thing which wasn't that good, was the elder lift. But at the end it worked well.
Nowadays
If you like a central place full of history and legendary guests, don't hesitate to chose Hotel Damier. It is listed (in August 2023) as the 3rd. hotel in Kortrijk on
Tripadvisor. Hotel Damier is owned by Yvan Vindevogel and Catherine Debal.
👇
More information about Hotel Damier, check their website on this
link.
I took these pictures of Hotel Damier in July 2023.
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