Abby Kortrijk opened its doors in the weekend of 29 March 2025. The new arts museum is housed in the historic Groeningeabdij (Groeninge Abbey), which has been expanded with a new extension. The museum provides a permanent home for Kortrijk’s historical and contemporary art collection.
The building of Abby Kortrijk consists of a new extension on the left and the historical abbey on the right (photo: Stad Kortrijk ©)
The opening of Abby is a significant step in Kortrijk’s cultural renewal. It is not a traditional museum, but a place where art and heritage challenge visitors to think differently. The museum dares to depart from the classic image of a museum, exploring in this way what art can mean to us.
Roelant Savery (1578-1639), Two Horses and Stable Boys, 1628
Abby Kortrijk
The collection includes, among other things, one of the most important ceramic collections in Flanders, masterpieces by old masters, and a notable collection of Kortrijk-based animal and landscape painters, as well as an eclectic mix of interior objects, archaeological finds, and folk art.
Abby does not feature a permanent collection display. Instead, collection pieces are showcased in temporary exhibitions and in a dynamic, biennial collection presentation called “ReCollection.”