Museums
In Flanders Fields Museum & Yper Museum
These two museums were housed in the Cloth Hall. The In Flanders Fields Museum is an interactive museum that tells the historical story of the First World War in the West Flanders front region. The permanent exhibition tells about the invasion in Belgium and the four-year war in Flanders. Become part of the life at the front by unique sound clips, catchy video projections, and the latest multimedia applications.
Yper Museum brings you a rich history of eleven centuries. You will discover unique maps, archaeological finds, coins, lace and crafts and much more. The Yper Museum shows you a model of the city and provides a personal and playful experience.
Hooge Crater Museum 1914-1918
The museum lets you see reconstructions of war scenes, equipment and the extensive collection of weapons from the First World War. This unique place is a must for interested tourists and for anyone who is looking for a historical perspective. The Hooge Crater Museum is right across Hooge Crater Cemetry located, where one of the fiercest battlefields of Ypres has found place. This museum is an absolute must!
Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke
Memorial Museum Passchendaele Zonnebeke tells the story of the Battle of Passchendaele. This battle of 1917 is known as one of the worst battles of the First World War. In one hundred days there were over half a million people victims for a gain of only eight kilometres. The museum also concentrates on the material aspects of World War I. At the end of your visit, you will descend six meters in a hallway, equipped with a pump room, headquarters and sleeping place. A unique experience!
Sights
Menin Gate / Last Post
The Menin Gate is a memorial in the form of a Roman triumphal arch. The official name of the monument is Ypres Memorial and can be considered as the general symbol of the First World War. This gate displays the name of 54.896 soldiers missing in the Ypres Salient between the outbreak of the war and 15 August 1917.
Every night at 8 pm and in all weather conditions the Last Post is sounded. The fallen soldiers of World War I are remembered. The Last Post ceremony has been organised since 1928 by the Last Post Association.
Cloth Hall – Belfry
The Cloth Hall of Ypres was built in 1304. During World War I the building was almost totally destroyed. The building was mainly used as a sales and storage place of cloth and was completely reconstructed in its original form. The Cloth Hall is one of Europe’s largest civil buildings in gothic style.
The steeple that rises in the middle of the Cloth Hall is the Belfry. From here the ‘Cat throwing’ took place. The Belfry tower (231 steps) can be visited during a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum.
Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passendale
Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world and the main witness of the bloody Battle of Passchendaele. During the Third Battle of Ypres (1917) the British Army lost nearly 300,000 men to capture this ruined village ‘Passion Dale’ – the valley of suffering. Tyne Cot Cemetery buried about 12,000 soldiers and the wall behind the cemetery, Tyne Cot Memorial, contains the names of 35,000 soldiers with no known grave.
The visitor centre provides more information about the cemetery itself and offers you a panoramic view of the old battlefields of 1917. You will hear and see the moving story of Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Saint Martin’s Cathedral
After World War II, St. Martin’s Cathedral was rebuilt in Gothic style. The cathedral tower is 102 metres high. The church itself is the tomb of Count Robert of Bethune, the ‘Lion of Flanders’. The church is fully accessible, and you can visit it every day. The tower is not accessible.
Activities
Bellewaerde
Bellewaerde is the amusement park in Ypres and guarantees a unique combination of a whirling amusement and animal park!
Aquapark Bellewaerde
Do you like some water fun? That can be found in Bellewaerde Aquapark. Relax in an oasis of green or have some fun on one of the slides.
Shopping
The cosy pubs, good restaurants and nice shops invite you to Ypres to relax. On and around the Main Square you will find plenty of shops to keep you sweet. The best shopping streets in the centre are Boterstraat, the Neermarkt, Menin Street and the Main Square itself.
Walking and Cycling
You can walk in Ypres, along the medieval alleys, mansions, urban parks and the monumental city gate and fortresses in Ypres, which for 10 centuries form a reinforcement around the city.
You can do both walking and cycling in around ‘Dikkebusvijver’, ‘Zillebekevijver’ and ‘Gasthuisbossen’. Outside the city, you can explore the rural hills by various cycling and walking trails. There is the walking network ‘Ypres Salient’, ‘In Flanders Fields-hiking’, Bike trail ‘Ypres Salient’ and ‘Heritage Walk’.
Cyclists will also find what they need. There are plenty of bicycle routes through the cycling network. Cycling and walking maps are available in the Holiday Home.
