Tourism in the Ypres Salient
What to see?
The Last Post, at Ypres:
Every evening since 1928 the Last Post has been sounded beneath the imposing arches of the Menin Gate Memorial.
This tribute is played in honour of the memory of the soldiers of the British Empire who fought and died in the immortal Ypres Salient during the First World War.
Tyne Cot cemetery, Passchendale:
The largest and most impressive Commonwealth cemetery in the world is the Tyne Cot cemetery, which is situated to the south of the village of Passendale.
Here can be found a total of 11.856 graves : 8.901 British, 1.353 Australian, 966 Canadian, 519 from New-Zealand, 90 South-African, 14 from New Foundland, 6 from Guernsey, 2 from the British West-Indies, 1 French, 4 German and 101 graves for soldiers whose nationality could not be determined.
MEMORIAL MUSEUM PASSCHENDAELE 1917 At Zonnebeke
‘Passchendaele 1917’ became a byword in the history of the First World War, a word that was used to symbolise violence in its most brutal and senseless form.
During the Third Battle of Ypres, in one hundred days only a few miles of frontline were gained at the cost of more than 500,000 casualties.
On ANZAC Day 2004, the community of Zonnebeke opend a brand-new museum in the grounds of Zonnebeke Chateau, about the infamous battlefields, ninety years after the beginning of the Great War. The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 is the successor to the well-known Streekmuseum and is maintaining a classically traditional style of presentation.
The visitor will be given an oversight of the five battles of Ypres by means of authentic photographic material, a wide collection of historical artefacts and several life-like dioramas.
At the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, the visitor will get the opportunity to walk through a Communication trench and descend into a unique 20 feet deep British dugout with communication and dressing posts, headquarters and accommodation.
The museum is an ideal starting point for a visit to the area, an absolute must for tourists and specialists.
War museum: "Hooge Crater":
Probable the best authentic war museum in the Salient. A nice collection of original WW1 items displayed in very nice diorama. Also a big collection of dug up relics, even a complete trench (wood and all).
An original WW1 ambulance, a repro of the fokker of the Red Baron!
More info:
Hoge crater museum / Roger De Smul
Meenseweg 467
B-8902 Zillebeke (Ieper)
Telephone: 057/46.84.46 - Telefax: 057/46.87.12
Polygon wood / De Dreve:
This pub is an excellent way to relax or have a drink in a WW1 environment.
The owner, Johan is the man who found several dug outs and who restored the Beecham Dug out found in 1999 near Tyne Cot cemetery.
You can visit parts of the Beecham dug out an relics found in it at the Yzertoren museum at Diksmuide. There is also a new reconstruction of a dug out to give you the impression of live under the ground in WW1.
The pub is also next to The Polgon wood with the Polygon wood cemetery and the Buttes Cemetery with the Battle Memorial of the 5th Australian Division and the New Zealand Memorial.
More info:
Café - Taverne: DE DREVE
Lange Dreve 16
8980 Zonnebeke
Tel.: 057/466235 - telefax: 057/467523
E-mail:
dedreve@hotmail.com
And there is much more:
Langemark, German cemetery with the grave of 44000 men. Also a mass grave of 17000 men
http://www.volksbund.de/kgs/stadt.asp?stadt=501
Houthulst Forest Belgium Military Cemetery: The graves of 1704 Belgian soldiers and +/- 20 Italian POW who were killed in 1918 during the last battles (the had to do very dangerous frontline reparation works.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dccfarr/houthulst.htm
Steentsraat + Boezinge - Pilkem first gas attack monuments.
Info about gas shells in the salient today:http://home.hccnet.nl/r.ruggenberg/greatwar/gifgas/houthulst-eng.html
POELCAPELLE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY: where there should be laying the youngest know soldier of the Great War.
http://www.geocities.com/ptrue84020/poelcapelle.html
Essex Farm cemetery, the place where John Mc Crae wrote his poem: In Flanders Fields. And where the youngest Brittish soldier rests.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dccfarr/essex.htm
Hill 62 + museum: a quite dirty museum with a nice collection under years of dust. Interesting are the foto's you can see in the stereographs.
This museum claims to have original trenches, but research discovered they were made in the early '50's. The trenches are even in the wrong direction!
DIKSMUIDE : The Trench of Death, the only visitable real trenches in Flanders!
This place, where regiment after regiment, the entire Belgian army by turns toiled, fought, struggled for life, was the heart of the resistance until the glorious offensive’s morning of September 28th 1918.
http://www.trabel.com/diksmuide/diksmuide-trench.htm
Getting there:
The easiest route from the port or the Channel Tunnel, is to follow the A16 motorway for DUNKERQUE (Dunkirk).
At Dunkerque, take the A25 motorway, following signs for ARMENTIERES and LILLE. Leave the motorway at Exit 13 STEENVOORDE and then follow the D948 for POPERINGE and YPRES (IEPER). From here it is about fifteen minutes to Poperinge and half an hour to Ypres. There are no tolls on either of these motorways.
Staying there:
VARLET FARM B&B:
Run by the charming Charlotte Cardoen-Descamps and her family, this B&B is located in their farm on the Passchendaele battlefield. Varlet Farm was part of the German defences in October 1917 and attacked and captured by the Royal Naval Division.
SEVEN rooms available - from 37€ per night including breakfast. English spoken - very well! For further details contact:
Charlotte & Dirk Cardoen-Descamps
Varlet Farm
Wallemolenstraat 43
8920 POELKAPELLE
BELGIUM
TEL/FAX: +32 51 77 78 59
Email:
info@varletfarm.com
Web Site: http://www.varletfarm.com
Cherry Blossom B&B on the Ypres Salient
Jon and Liz Millward offer a warm welcome at their family run Bed & Breakfast situated at Brandhoek, Vlamertinge
- just off the N8/N38 towards Poperinge.
Free parking for cars, trailers and small mini-buses.
A garage is also available for motorbikes and bicycles.
Captain Noel Chavasse (double VC) is buried nearby at Brandhoek Military Cemetery.
Alleezie
Self catering rental house.
In the centre of the historic city of Ypres , we have our guesthouse.We've renovated the house to your convenience.
Only a few steps away you've got the Menin gate with the Last Post in the evening, the fortess, the market place, the "In Flanders Fields" museum.
You'll find the Tynecot Cemetery at 8 km,the "Passchendaele" museum in Zonnebeke at 8 km, the coast (with Ostend airport) at 35 km, Bellewaerde Park at 5 km,Bruges at 40 km, Brussels (airport) at 120 km.
You have a lot of restaurants,pubs and shops nearby Alleezie.
In the neighbourghood you find cycle routes and a small
OTHER PLACES TO STAY: http://www.ieper.be/eng/