What to do in the valley of the Lys in a weekend?

Kortrijk, or Courtrai in Flemish, isn't the first choice for a city trip in Belgium, and yet, we were pleasantly surprised by this city located on the banks of the Lys.

It was while passing a door between two alleys in the historic center of Kortrijk that we stumbled upon the Saint-Élisabeth beguinage. These small houses with white bricks and green windows form a haven of peace in the city center.

The Kortrijk beguinage was founded in the 13th century and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998. The 41 small houses, among which you can stroll for free, date back to the 17th century.

The ABBY museum is the brand new plastic arts museum in Courtrai located in the Begijnhof park. Inaugurated in April 2025, you can discover over 1000 m² of exhibition space divided into 3 halls. You can find, in the basement, the opening exhibition entitled: F**klore. Reinventing Tradition. This one illustrates with humor and irony the customs, crafts or traditional stories. A refined exhibition that mixes styles and arts. You will even have the opportunity to taste a piece of speculoos, the mold of which was specially created for the exhibition.

At the entrance of the museum, you will discover "The Living of Rinus Van de Velde", where the artist has reproduced chairs, sofas, lamps made of cardboard, wood and paint. An invitation for the visitor to immerse themselves in the artist's universe.

If you have the opportunity, we advise you to climb the 163 steps to the top of the Saint-Martin church tower. After this small effort, you could enjoy the 360-degree view of Courtrai. You can observe that the city is truly surrounded by nature and the Lys valley. Entry to the tower is free by registering on this link.

We only spent half a day in the center of Kortrijk, so you can imagine that the list of activities is not exhaustive. We hope to return for a city trip, a weekend, to gently discover the historic center of Kortrijk, its must-see heritage (like the Broel Towers) and find good addresses.

If you're looking for an unusual activity to do in Flanders, Belgium, this is it! Tankk rafting is an activity that takes place on the water, not in a boat or on a board, but in a stock tank. This container was used as a watering trough for cows or as a flower box.

It's therefore aboard our Tankk, paddle in hand and music on the loaned speaker, that we explore the Lys valley. An unusual activity to surprise your loved ones, to do with friends, family or as a couple to enjoy a moment out of time.

Belgium has more than 3,000 castles, so if you have to visit one during a weekend between Ghent and Kortrijk, it's the Ooidonk Castle. This magnificent 120-hectare estate is part of the unmissable heritage of the Lys Valley. We were lucky enough to have a private tour of the estate with Johan (the interior of the castle can only be visited with a guide and photos are forbidden). He explained the history of the castle since its first construction in 1381 until the purchase of the property by Henri t’Kint de Roodenbeke in 1864. Today, it's the 6th count t’Kint de Roodenbeke who lives in the castle with his family. During your visit, you might have the opportunity to meet him in the gardens.

The castle as you see it today, of the Renaissance type, dates from 1579 when the della Faille family, the 4th richest family in Europe, bought it. We loved this step back in time, discovering the different rooms of the castle. Thank you Johan for passionately sharing with us the history of one of the most beautiful castles in Belgium.

If you wish to extend the experience, you can book a night in one of the castle's rooms via Airbnb. An immersive stay at Ooidonk Castle to live the life of a prince/princess.

Looking for a relaxing and meditative activity? Then you have to try Paint & Sip! The principle is to create a canvas while having a drink. Simon, from Pigment Paint and Sip, warmly welcomes us on the terrace of a small café on the banks of the Lys and explains our mission for the day: to reproduce the famous painting 'De rivier' by Valerius De Saedeleer in 3 hours. Our teacher of the day, very pedagogical, shares some technical elements on acrylic painting and helps us reproduce each step of the painting. We are completely absorbed in this creative activity on the banks of the Lys and don't see the time pass.

You're going to ask us: but what is packrafting? So let's start from the beginning! A packraft is a small inflatable boat that is easily transportable and often slipped into a backpack for hiking or other outdoor adventures. A way to push exploration and freedom even further and always in complete autonomy.

On our side, we rented the packrafts from packraften.be. Once there, we were given a locker key where we found our packraft and paddle, a waterproof backpack to carry everything (and our personal belongings) as well as all the practical information. This includes the hiking itinerary with the packrafting embarkation and disembarkation points, as well as step-by-step instructions for inflating the packraft.

The itinerary is a loop starting from De Baliekouter café. We didn't find much interest in the hiking part, but we really enjoyed the one on the water. We are completely immersed in the Mandel valley, and from the water, it's a whole new point of view that opens up to us on the landscapes previously discovered on foot. And of course, remember to respect nature, take your trash with you and keep a reasonable distance from wild animals.

The ABBY Café is perfect for a quick lunch during your museum visit. We ate two vegetarian burgers there. Perfect for regaining strength for the rest of the day.

Nestled in the heart of the village of Izegem, 't Hemelhuys is a friendly restaurant offering quality local and Belgian dishes. The decor is eclectic and makes the place atypical. We tasted the house menu and we were delighted. A favorite for this gourmet address in the heart of a small village in the Lys valley.

The Brasserie BrunO is a restaurant with a modern decor in Deinze. The menu is simple, but diversified and everyone can find a dish that they like. If you are a Gin enthusiast, consider tasting the gin from Fillers Distillery, produced only 1.5 km from the brasserie.

Just a few meters from the Ooidonk castle, is the Grand Café Het Koetshuis. A friendly address with a country house feel. Incidentally, passing by on a Sunday, the place was fully booked, popular for a family dinner or get-togethers with friends. On the menu, a classic and friendly selection, offering some local specialties. The price is rather high, but the portions are large and will delight everyone's taste buds.

Welcome to B&B De Hulst at Dries and Anje's in Izegem, Belgium. Upon your arrival, you will be warmly welcomed by the owners of this old farm. They designed the renovation of the place to respect nature and the original architecture as much as possible. The room is efficient and the breakfast upon waking is incredible, with local, quality products and honey that comes directly from the garden! With a full stomach, take the time to chat with Anje and Dries who will passionately tell you the history of the B&B and everything they have put in place in the 2-hectare estate. And if the weather permits, you can swim in their natural pool. The price per night starts at €135 with breakfast.

Don't hesitate to take earplugs if you are sensitive to noise, the neighbors on two or four legs are not the most discreet. 🐓🐑

The Mooiwater was our second stop for this nature weekend in Belgium. Our room overlooked the corner of the street with the Lys on one side and the church of Deinze on the other. A simple but effective cocoon for a romantic night near Ghent. The price of the night starts at 123€, breakfast included.

This is where our nature weekend in the Lys Valley in Flanders ends. We really enjoyed the diversity of activities in the area, a gentle mix of nature, sport and heritage. Enough to satisfy everyone's desires, whether in a couple, with friends or family. We hope this itinerary will inspire you for a future stay in Belgium.

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