racetrack
Circuit Zolder
A Belgian circuit tragically linked to Gilles Villeneuve's death in 1982, with a rich history in Formula 1 and touring car racing.
17 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeBelgiumFlanders
Kortessem
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
About Kortessem
Kortessem is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Wellen, 21km from Hoge Kempen National Park.
Kortessem is in Flanders, Belgium, with about 8,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Wellen, about 4 km away.
Kortessem (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkɔrtəsɛm]; Limburgish: Kotsoeve) is a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2006, Kortessem had a total population of 8,074. The total area is 33.90 km2 which gives a population density of 238 inhabitants per km2.
The formerRead more
municipality consisted of the following sub-municipalities: Kortessem, Guigoven, Vliermaal, Vliermaalroot, and Wintershoven.
Up until its destruction by a storm in 2009, Kortessem was the home of the Onzelievehereboom: a 1200-year-old oak.
Since 16 May 2014 Herman Van Rompuy is an honorary citizen.
Kortessem has been part of Hasselt since January 1, 2025.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kortessem?
Within an hour or so of Kortessem: Circuit Zolder (17 km), Vrijthof Maastricht (21 km), Hoge Kempen National Park (21 km), Valkenburg Marl Caves (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Kortessem?
The nearest famous roads are Baraque de Fraiture, Chimay Street Circuit and Brouwersdam.
Where is Kortessem?
Kortessem is in Flanders, Belgium, about 4 km from Wellen.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 8,042
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Flanders
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 50.8589, 5.3897
Tags
Worth the detour from Kortessem
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Vrijthof Maastricht
A grand cafe-ringed square anchored by two medieval churches in the Netherlands' oldest, most Burgundian city.
21 km · about 25 min drive
national park
Hoge Kempen National Park
Belgium's first national park, a heath and pine landscape in Limburg with six gateway entrances and visitor car parks.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Valkenburg Marl Caves
Hill-country Valkenburg hides Roman-era marl tunnels, a ruined castle and the Netherlands' only true hilltop drives.
31 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt
The Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
46 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Thorn
The 'white village' of Limburg: an entire former abbey-principality of whitewashed brick lanes and cobbles beside the Maas, painted white in the Napoleonic era to dodge a window tax and kept that way ever since.
46 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Leuven Town Hall
A lacework masterpiece of late-Gothic stone, crusted with statues and pinnacles in Belgium's great university city.
48 km · about 55 min drive
cathedral
Aachen Cathedral (Aachener Dom)
The first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany, built by Charlemagne as his palatine chapel in the 9th century.
50 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Kortessem
- 46 kmVaalserberg DrielandenpuntThe Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
- 51 kmGileppe DamA 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
- 63 kmSignal de BotrangeAt 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
- 72 kmBaraque de FraitureBelgium's second-highest point at 652 m, a windswept Ardennes plateau crossroads on the N89 with a small ski station and sweeping high-fen scenery.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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