Waregem

Geschiedenis

Waregem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality lies in the valley of the Leie River, between Kortrijk and Ghent. It is part of the arrondissement of Kortrijk and comprises the towns of Beveren, Desselgem, Sint-Eloois-Vijve and Waregem proper. On January 1, 2006, Waregem had a total population of 35,852. The total area is 44.34 km² which gives a population density of 809 inhabitants per km².HistoryOriginsThe first inhabitants of this forested region settled along the Leie River well before Roman times. Bronze coins and artifacts associated with the Gallo-Roman culture show extensive activity in this area in the first centuries of our era. This is not surprising given the fact that Sint-Eloois-Vijve stood at the intersection of two important Roman roads: Cassel-Tongeren and Bavai-Oudenburg. The name of the current municipality refers to a certain “Waro” clan or tribe, possibly dating from the Frankish period.