Wevelgem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wevelgem
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Wevelgem town hall
|
|||
|
|||
 Wevelgem
Location in Belgium
|
|||
| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | West Flanders | ||
| Arrondissement | Kortrijk | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.76 km2 (14.97 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2018-01-01)Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
|
|||
| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
8560
|
||
| Area codes | 056 | ||
| Website | www.wevelgem.be | ||
Wevelgem is a town in the Belgian province of West Flanders. It's a place where about 31,020 people live. The town covers an area of 38.76 square kilometers. This means there are about 800 people living in each square kilometer.
Wevelgem is easy to reach! You can get there by road using major highways. You can also travel by boat on the De Leie river. If you prefer to fly, there's the Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport nearby. And for train travel, Wevelgem has its own Wevelgem railway station.
The town is also famous for a big bicycle race. It's called the Gent–Wevelgem bicycle road race, and it finishes right here in Wevelgem every year!
Contents
A Look at Wevelgem's History
The first time Wevelgem was mentioned in history books was in 1197. Long ago, a group of monks and nuns called Cistercians lived here. They had an abbey called Guldenberg Abbey in the 1200s and 1300s. This abbey even owned mills that ground grain in different places.
The Golden River
The river De Leie was very important for Wevelgem in the past. People used the river to soak flax. Flax is a plant used to make linen fabric. After soaking, they would process the flax in many factories around Wevelgem. Because of the golden color of the flax, the river De Leie earned the nickname The Golden River.
Selling flax was a great way to make money. This brought many people to Wevelgem, and they stayed for many generations. Today, growing flax is not as common, but some factories still process it.
Wevelgem During the World Wars
During the First World War, the Germans built an airport in Wevelgem. This airport is still used today for private planes. There's also a large German Military Cemetery nearby. It's partly in Wevelgem and partly in Menen. This cemetery is the biggest German cemetery in Belgium. It holds the graves of 47,864 soldiers who died in World War I.
Across from the cemetery, there used to be a fake airport. It had wooden planes to trick the enemy! You can still see parts of it, like a big bunker and a small bunker near the railway. Later, during the Second World War, the bridge connecting Lauwe to Wevelgem was destroyed. It was rebuilt after the war.
Famous People from Wevelgem
Many interesting people have connections to Wevelgem:
- Annelien Coorevits was crowned Miss Belgium in 2007.
- Justine De Jonckheere also became Miss Belgium in 2011.
- Steak Number Eight is a rock band that started in 2007 and quickly became famous.
- Dag Otto Lauritzen, a former cyclist from Norway, lived in Gullegem when he was racing.
- Aagje Vanwalleghem is a gymnast who reached the finals of the Olympic Games in 2004.
- Steven Vanackere, a well-known Belgian politician, was born in Wevelgem.
- Jean-Claude Van Geenberghe, a horse rider from Belgium and Ukraine, lived in Moorsele.
- Camille Dhont, a Belgian singer and actress, was born in Wevelgem.
Gallery
-
Sint-Theresia's Church near Wevelgem.
-
Guldenberg Abbey of Wevelgem in 1641.
-
Military cemetery in Moorsele.
See also
In Spanish: Wevelgem para niños
