| Full text |
to Tournai. COURTRAIL. We oRaie Olt
The Rue du Béguinage ends at the small Parvis Notre-Dame,
which is embellished with a marble bust of Guido Gezelle (1830-99;
Pl. 6), the poet, by Lagae. To the right stands the church of —
Notre Dame (PI. C, 2), founded by Count Baldwin 1X. of Flanders
(p. 80), and completed in 1241. The choir, which is decorated with
mé arble, and the portal were rebuilt in the 18th century.
The IntERIoR is at present under restoration, and the chief treasure of
this church, k*s Raising of the Cross, has been temporarily removed
to the Mus¢ 80). — The altars to the right and left of the choir-
recess, in the ambulatory adorned with good reliefs in marble of the
18th cent., by Lecreux (p. represent St. Rochus among the plague-
stricken, and Mary Magdalen with angels. — The Chapel of the Counts, on the
right of the choir, added to the church in 1373, is adorned with wall-
p
intings of the 14th cent., representing the Counts and Countesses of Flan-
d restored by Van der Plaetsen (d. 1857), who continued the series
down to Er p. Fra ncis IL.
A little farther on, at the end of the Rue Guido-Gezelle, are two
massive old bridge-towers (Broeltorens; Pl. C, 2). Vhat to the right
contains the Oudheidskamer or Musée d’Antiquités, with lace and
other objects of interest (key kept by the concierge at the oe ee
Vrom Notre Dame the Rue de Notre-Dame leads to the 8S. W. back
to the Grand’ Place. Thence we may proceed to the BE. by the Rue de
Groeninghe, cross the Esplanade, and follow the Av. Ant. Goethals
to the Boulevard de Groeninghe, which is adorned with a large
Mo nument ec eee: the Battle of the Spurs (Pl. 4; p. 79), by
. de Vreese (1906).
In the Rue de Lille (Ryssel-Straat), to the W. of the Grand’
Blase) is the Church of St. Michael (P1. B, 2), in the late-Gothic
style (1610), with a modernized interior. — At the end of the street
is a monument to L. Robbe ( (P1.8), the animal - painter (1807-99).
To Brussels and to Ypres, see R. 5; to Bruges, p. 50. — Courtrai is con-
nected by branch-lines also with Engh (p. 8), via Avelghem and Renaix
E., and with Roulers (p. 5U), vid Ingelmunster (p. 50), to the
run to (16 M.) Wer i o 53) v 3M.) Ledeghem
(p. 47); to (18 /2 le (p. 47) vid (9 M.) Wielsbeke ;
eghem in one direction tc e ML) Mouscron (see below)
and Montaleux, in the other direction to Hspierres and Pecq.
The Tournai line quits the flat land and enters an undulating
and picturesque district. The Flemish language gives way to the
French. 34 M. Lawwe. — 35 M. Mouscron (the s mute), the Bel-
gian douane for travellers arriving from France (Rail. Restaurant).
_ From Mouscron 70 Linze, 13 M. lway in 37 min. (fares 2 fr. 20, 4 fr.
55, a Ddic.). — 3}/o M. Tourcoing (Hotel Terminus, at the station, Hé6t.
du Cygne, in the market-place), a busy manufacturing town of ie 700
inhab. +, With the French custom-house. A monument commemorates the
eat of the English and Austrians by Jourdan and Moreau in 1794. —
. Roubaix (Hotel Ferraille), an important linen- manufacturing town
the “population of which has risen from about 9000 in 1806 to 424,000)
(com Baedeker’s Northern France). Year Croix-Wasquehal the train
crosses the Roubaix Canal, which connects the Deule with the Scheldt.
13M. Lille, see p. A.
Steam- tramways ply from Mouscron to Menin (p. 53) and to Courtrai
(see above).
a |
