Avelgem

Avelgem is a town in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality has more than 10,000 inhabitants (2023). Avelgem is in the extreme southeast of the province, southeast of Kortrijk, along the Scheldt, against the border with the provinces of East Flanders and Hainaut.

Get in

By car

Avelgem is not near a motorway, the closest entrances and exits are at Zwevegem, Deerlijk and Waregem for the E17 and at Dottignies for the E403. The N8 runs straight through the centre of Avelgem. There are 600 free parking spaces in Avelgem, including on Daniël Vermandereplein behind the church.

By bicycle

For cyclists, the Trimaarzate starts in Avelgem , which runs on part of the old Spoorlijn 85 and connects Avelgem with Spiere and on the other side with Heestert. The EuroVelo route "Via Roma Francigena" that connects London to Rome also runs through Avelgem. The bicycle bridge over the Scheldt completes the last part of the bicycle route.

By bus

Avelgem is served by De Lijn with regional lines 85 (Spiere-Avelgem-Anzegem-Waregem), 91 (Kortrijk-Zwevegem-Heestert-Avelgem), 92 (Kortrijk-Zwevegem-Otegem-Avelgem) and 65 (Oudenaarde-Avelgem). All these buses have a stop at the old station of Avelgem , making this an important hub for bus traffic in the region.

TEC also has a stop at the station where line 97 (Ronse-Avelgem-Doornik) stops.

See

• 1 Sint-Martinuskerk (Saint Martin's Church). A neo-Gothic church, built after the First World War. During that war, the original neo-Gothic church (built in the second half of the 19th century, when the old church was also demolished) was completely destroyed by bombing.  
• 2 Tombeel Mill, at Molenstraat 41A in Outrijve. This mill was built in 1923 and is the youngest mill in Flanders.   
• 3 Regionaal Archeologisch Museum A/D Schelde, Rijtstraat 4. Open every 2nd Sunday of the month. Museum at the archeological site of Kerkhove, where prehistoric and Roman artifacts were found. free. (updated May 2023)
• 4 Kasteel Scheldeburcht (Scheldeburcht Castle), Kasteelstraat 5. The preserved part of what remains of a 15th-century Castle, the southeast wing, houses a conservatory and a health centre.  

Drink

• 1 The Spirits Valley. Set in a historical pump building from 1860. (updated May 2023)

Sleep

• 1 'T Bed & De Tafel, Scheldelaan 20. Laidback hotel on the banks of the Scheldt. €70-€110. (updated May 2023)