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In Flanders' fields

09:45 07/11/2011

Follow in the footsteps of World War One heroes with our battlefield tours guide

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, silence will descend on Ypres, as thousands bow their heads in memory of the fallen at the town’s annual Armistice Day ceremony at the poppy-strewn Menin Gate. The massive Portland stone memorial to the World War One missing is the focus of the November 11 public holiday, but it is also a place of commemoration throughout the year as the Last Post is played here every evening at 20.00, whatever the crowd, whatever the weather.
This rural corner of West Flanders saw some of the bloodiest battles of the Great War, the most devastating of which was Passchendaele in 1917. Memorials, cemeteries and relics proliferate across the region, known also as the Ypres Salient, because the medieval town was surrounded on three sides during most of the war by the German army.
If you want to visit the key World War One battlefields around Ypres, you can always do it yourself but enlisting the help of one of the many specialist tour guides available is a good idea. Not only do they know the best places to visit and when to visit them, but they can also help bring this unforgettable time in world history back to vivid life with their knowledge and enthusiasm. Here’s our pick of some of the best tour guides in Ypres.

1. Flanders Battlefield Tours

If you only have an afternoon to spare but want to make the most of it by visiting the unmissable sights, then Flanders Battlefield Tours offers an excellent four-hour minibus tour of the Ypres North Salient. It runs from 13.00 to 17.00 daily and gives tourists a chance to visit several key monuments and battlegrounds. Essex Farm, which was the location of the bunker where John McCrae wrote the Remembrance poem In Flanders Fields; the sombre oak tree-filled German cemetery at Langemark, and the impressive Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passchendaele are just some of the locations covered in the tour. There are also two other itineraries but, between November and the end of March, they are available on request only. The tour costs €35 including museum entrance fees. Children under 12 who take up a seat pay half-price. Pre-booking is recommended.
www.ypres-fbt.com

2. 2Xplore Tours

If you are looking for a more personal, customised battlefield tour, then 2Xplore Tours is an ideal option. Patrick Jonckheere is an ex-Belgian Para Commando who was born in nearby Diksmuide and has a real passion for the history of the Great War. He not only knows all the famous sites extremely well but, as a local, he can also take you to private sites off the beaten path. He offers two day-long set tours – the Ypres Salient Tour, which includes the Tyne Cot Cemetery, the Passchendaele Memorial and the preserved battlefield at Hill 60, and the Yser Front Tour. A separate evening tour takes in the Last Post ceremony. Jonckheere also designs customised tours: just explain what you want to visit and he’ll arrange everything, including food, transport and accommodation. Day-long 2Xplore Tours cost €65. Contact Patrick for information on the customised tours. All tours include entrance fees and an information pack. www.2xplore.be

3. Cycling the Western Front

For a battlefield tour with a difference, try Cycling the Western Front. It takes advantage of the fact that most of the action during the Great War took place within a fairly small – and generally flat – area. This means that the battlefield sites are only about 4 to 8km apart and can be visited by bicycle. The tours are personally guided and cover all ages and abilities. One-day tours are the standard, but multiple-day tours can be arranged and include accommodation and transportation of your overnight luggage. Contact Carl Ooghe for more information on 0475.81.06.08.  www.cyclingthewesternfront.co.uk

4. Self-Drive Battlefield Tours

If you don’t want to be guided at all, try a Self-Drive Battlefield Tour, which is set up to help you trace the steps of your soldier ancestor. Just tell them his name, regiment and service number, and they will do all the necessary research work. You will receive a dossier with all the information they could gather on your ancestor, combined with a suggested itinerary. The dossier usually includes details of his service record, and, if he died in Flanders, where he fell and the circumstances. You’ll get directions to his grave or the memorial his name is engraved on, as well as the relevant trench maps, how they relate to your ancestor, and how to interpret them.
www.ww1-battlefieldtours.co.uk

5. Willie Mohan Tours

Ebullient Irishman Willie Mohan has been offering battlefield tours for more than 30 years. His comprehensive tours run from one to four days. In addition to having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the war, Willie has a real knack for bringing it to life. The former soldier and retired London policeman tells stories of how the men lived, fought and died on the battlefield, as well as providing vital historical context. He describes his tours as ideal for those who want something “less sedentary” with lots of walking and pit stops. Trips to the Somme and Normandy in France are also possible, plus other European battlefields. Prices are available on request but include all food, transport and accommodation costs.  www.wm-tours.com

GETTING THERE

Ypres is easily accessible from Brussels by taking the E40 towards Ghent, then the E17 towards Kortrijk and finally the A19 into Ypres (Ieper). Alternatively, a direct train leaves Brussels Central station every hour and only takes 1 hour 48 minutes to reach Ypres. The last train back to Brussels departs at 21.39, giving you plenty of time to enjoy a full day in and around Ypres.

WHERE TO STAY

Ypres is full of hotels and B&Bs, so why not stay somewhere a little bit different? Varlet Farm is a working farm just 9km from Ypres that offers excellent B&B facilities.
43 Wallemolen-straat, Poelkapelle, tel 051.77.78.59.  varletfarm.com

WHERE TO EAT

De Ruyffelaer is a charming family-owned restaurant which serves home-cooked Flemish food. Situated just off the main square, it uses locally sourced produce and has a good wine list. 9-11 Gustave de Stuersstraat, Ypres, tel 057.36.60.06.  deruyffelaer.be

 

Written by Denzil Walton and Sarah Crew

Comments

jamewills

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row.It's hard to believe that just a century has passed since John McCrae wrote his haunting poem In Flanders' Fields, which today is as synonymous with Remembrance Day as two minutes' silence. But while most of us will be thinking of the fallen on 11 November, you don't have to wait until then – or even until next year – to pay tribute to those who fought and died in World War One.In Flanders' Fields Museum in YpresThe first port of call for any WW1-themed tour is Ypres (or 'Ieper', as it's known in Flemish). This once-pretty Belgian town was virtually wiped off the map during the war, but its medieval Cloth Hall was rebuilt and now houses the excellent In Flanders' Fields museum. Most of my friends get help with assignment so that they could not face any shame in the college. The museum charts the history of WW1 from start to finish, but its most sobering exhibit is a set of concrete blocks showing how high the water would have been lapping around their feet if the Germans had succeeded in flooding the area.

Apr 21, 2022 15:41