Koolkerke is small district of Bruges in the province of West Flanders in Belgium. Although Roman remains have been found, the first written mention of the village Koolkerke dates from the 12th century. The name "Coolkercke" was first mentioned in 1243. The Old Zwin, a watercourse which connected Bruges to the Zwin in Knokke and the Nortsea, ran past the village. Old Zwin silted up, replaced by a canal constructed by the order of Napoleon and two forts were built in the 17th century: Fort Lapin south of Koolkerke and the 'Fort de Bavière' or Fort van Beieren, the remains of this can be seen today.