Peter Benoit Huis

Harelbeke railway station is in the city of Harelbeke in the Belgian province of West Flanders. It is on Line 75 between Ghent and Kortrijk and across the French border to Lille.

Harelbeke (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦaːrəlbeːkə]; West Flemish: Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total population of 28,447. The total area is 29.14 km² which gives a population density of 898 inhabitants per km². Inhabitants consider their hometown to be a "Weireldstad" (metropolis), which also led to a monthly "Harelbekedag" amongst the students of Harelbeke studying in Ghent.In Harelbeke a museum remembers the life and work of musician and composer Peter Benoit, called the Peter Benoit Huis.

The Arrondissement of Kortrijk (Dutch: Arrondissement Kortrijk; French: Arrondissement de Courtrai) is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West Flanders, Belgium. It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement. However, the Judicial Arrondissement of Kortrijk also comprises most municipalities in the Arrondissement of Roeselare (except Staden, Moorslede and Lichtervelde), as well as the southernmost municipalities of the Arrondissement of Tielt: Meulebeke, Dentergem, Oostrozebeke en Wielsbeke.

Second Lieutenant Ralph Luxmore Curtis (19 March 1898 – 21 September 1917) was a World War I British flying ace credited with fifteen aerial victories. He died from wounds sustained when he engaged in aerial combat with Hermann Göring, commander of Jasta 27. The aviator was interred twice in Belgian cemeteries, and was also commemorated on the Rainham War Memorial.

Lieutenant Clement Wattson Payton (13 April 1897 – 2 October 1918) was an English World War I flying ace credited with 11 official victories.

Captain Laurence Minôt (21 July 1896 – 28 July 1917) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories, who was killed in action a week after his 21st birthday.

Kuurne (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkyːrnə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km² which gives a population density of 1258 inhabitants per km². The Leie functions as a natural border between Kuurne and Harelbeke. Inhabitants from Kuurne are nicknamed 'donkeys'. This is said to be a term of derision given to them by the people of nearby Kortrijk because traders from Kuurne habitually set off for the Kortrijk market at an early hour, their ass-drawn carts laden with vegetables. Awoken by the rattle of the cart wheels and the braying of the asses, the people of Kortrijk exclaimed: "It's those asses from Kuurne again!" An alternative, more legendary explanation originates from the tale of a priest who had to hold a funeral on Ash Wednesday. He asked the sacrister to take over his regular service, but the latter couldn't remember the Latin words "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" (Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return), which are to be proclaimed while applying a cross of ash to the foreheads of the churchgoers. Later the priest spoke to him in exasperation, saying: "You were born an ass, and you will die an ass!" "Aha," said the sacrister, "I'll remember that!" and so saying, he continued giving the people of Kuurne their crosses of ash. The best-known donkey in Kuurne is 'Ambroos' (Ambrose), a larger-than-life and somewhat stylised statue in front of the town hall. The winner of the annual pro road cycling race Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne received a big bouquet and a soft toy version of 'Ambroos' to wave from the stage.

Bavikhove is a village (deelgemeente) in the Belgian municipality of Harelbeke within the Flemish province of West Flanders. It is located between Harelbeke-centre and Hulste, along the Leie river. It is known for the Bavik Brewery which brews a pilsner and Wittekerke Beer, among others. Famous people of Bavikhove include cyclists Stijn Devolder, Leif Hoste, Dirk Demol and Flemish actor and singer Wim Opbrouck. The name of the village was featured in a sketch of In de gloria where Gerrit Callewaert, played by Wim Opbrouck, protested against subtitling West Flemish speakers on Flemish television.

Hulste is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Hulste has 3456 inhabitants (2008) and an area of 7.86 km2. It fused in 1977 to become part of the city of Harelbeke.

The Courtrai Memorial is a Dominion of Newfoundland war memorial in Kortrijk (formerly referred to as Courtrai), Belgium that commemorates the actions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the First World War when it served and fought in several campaigns in Belgium from 1916 to 1918.

Deerlijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdeːrlək] (listen); West Flemish: Deirlyk) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Deerlijk proper. On January 1, 2006, Deerlijk had a total population of 11,310. The total area is 16.82 km² which gives a population density of 673 inhabitants per km².

The Battle of the Golden Spurs (Dutch: Guldensporenslag; French: Bataille des éperons d'or) was a military confrontation between the royal army of France and rebellious forces of the County of Flanders on 11 July 1302 during the Franco-Flemish War (1297–1305). It took place near the town of Kortrijk (Courtrai) in modern-day Belgium and resulted in an unexpected victory for the Flemish. It is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Courtrai. On 18 May 1302, after two years of French military occupation and several years of unrest, many cities in Flanders revolted against French rule, and the local militia massacred many Frenchmen in the city of Bruges. King Philip IV of France immediately organized an expedition of 8,000 troops, including 2,500 men-at-arms, under Count Robert II of Artois to put down the rebellion. Meanwhile, 9,400 men from the civic militias of several Flemish cities were assembled to counter the expected French attack. When the two armies met outside the city of Kortrijk on 11 July, the cavalry charges of the mounted French men-at-arms proved unable to defeat the mail-armoured and well-trained Flemish militia infantry's pike formation. The result was a rout of the French nobles, who suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Flemish. The 500 pairs of spurs that were captured from the French horsemen gave the battle its popular name. The battle was a famous early example of an all-infantry army overcoming an army that depended on the shock attacks of heavy cavalry. While France was victorious in the overall Franco-Flemish War, the Battle of the Golden Spurs became an important cultural reference point for the Flemish Movement during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1973, the date of the battle was chosen for the official holiday of the Flemish Community in Belgium. A 1985 film called De leeuw van Vlaanderen (The Lion of Flanders) shows the battle, and the politics that led up to it.