Harelbeke Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Harelbeke

Harelbeke is a municipality and city situated within the West Flanders province of Belgium. Covering an area of 29.14 square kilometers, the municipality encompasses the main city of Harelbeke alongside the nearby towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. As of early 2019, the region supported a total population of 28,447 people, giving it a density of 898 inhabitants per square kilometer. Local residents playfully refer to their home as a world city, a tradition that has also inspired a monthly student gathering among locals attending university in Ghent.

Historically, the city is connected to several notable figures in music and the arts. It is recognized as the birthplace or home of several prominent composers across different eras, including Renaissance artists Andreas Pevernage and Jacobus Vaet, avant-garde composer Armand Coeck, and the well-known composer Peter Benoit. Contemporary cultural figures linked to the city also include filmmaker Jan Bucquoy as well as performer Wim Opbrouck. Visitors interested in musical heritage can explore the Peter Benoit Huis, a local museum dedicated to showcasing the life and artistic contributions of Peter Benoit.

Outside the central area of the city, travelers can visit the Harelbeke New British Cemetery. Designed by architect William Harrison Cowlishaw, this site serves as the final resting place for over eleven hundred Commonwealth military personnel who lost their lives during the First World War, representing nations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Newfoundland. Additionally, the cemetery grounds contain the graves of ten British service members from the Second World War.

Sports play a major role in the city's modern identity. Since 1958, Harelbeke has served as the official starting and finishing point for the E3 Harelbeke, a semi-classic professional cycling race held annually during the week leading up to the Tour of Flanders. International connections are also maintained through official twin-town partnerships with Kinheim in Germany, Eenhana in Namibia, and Frýdek-Místek in the Czech Republic.