Ypres
During the Middle Ages Ypres was one of the main Flemish cloth centres next to Bruges and Ghent.
Being almost entirely destroyed during the First World War, the citizens of Ypres rebuilt their city with respect for the past.
Ypres
On Sept. 20, 2023, UNESCO decided to recognize 139 sites related to World War I as World Heritage Sites. They include 27 cemeteries and memorials in Flanders, in addition to sites in Wallonia and France. Flanders has been pushing for Unesco recognition for many years.
Places of interest
Ypres Cloth Hall
The Cloth Hall in Ypres was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages, when it served as the main market and warehouse for the Flemish city's prosperous cloth industry.
The original structure, erected mainly in the 13th century and completed 1304, lay in ruins after artillery fire devastated Ypres in World War I.
the hall was meticulously reconstructed to its prewar condition.
The Menin Gate
a memorial to the 55,000 soldiers who went missing in action during the First World War.
The structure itself is a colossal stone archway with the inscription of the names of the British and Commonwealth soldiers who went missing during the war.
The Belle Almshouse
a tiny chapel, a hidden treasure.
The chapel is full of fantastic artwork dating back as far as medieval times.
The Vauban Ramparts
along the canal, enjoying peaceful surroundings and plenty of benches along the tree-lined path.
The ramparts themselves date back to the 17th Century and were used to fortify Ypres when it was just a village.
Museums
The in-Flanders Fields museum
The museum, which explores all aspects of WW1 uses various media and sensory experiences including videos, sounds and smells to fully immerse visitors.
The Last Post
This moving ceremony takes place daily at 8pm in remembrance of the soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War.
The tradition started back in 1928.
The Flanders Battlefield
Ypres was the scene of destruction and loss on an epic scale for four years throughout the First World War.
Poperinge
Talbot house: an elegant mansion. ‘A home away from home’, a place where every soldier was welcome, and an ‘Every Man’s Club’ accessible to all, no matter their rank.
Hop Museum: in this impressive building hops were inspected and weighed.
On a huge display case on the ground floor more than 2000 different beers are nicely presented by region.
Vleteren
‘In de Vrede’, the café directly opposite the St Sixtus Abbey. Here you can taste those famous Trappist beers which enthused the whole world.
The coast's 65 kilometre long stretch of sandy coastline has 15 resorts, ao. Oostende and Knokke.
Its history has made it great, a fact that garnered it the title of a Unesco World Heritage City.