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Ypres

Belgium & Luxembourg Travel Guide

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cemetery fallen soldiers in World War I Flanders Belgium

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Overview

Once a bustling centre of industry ranking alongside Bruges and Ghent, it's now impossible to reference Ypres (Ieper in Dutch) without acknowledging the huge role it played in WWI. After its almost total annihilation, the town was rebuilt to its former specifications – a monumental task – to serve as a memorial to those who lost their lives here in the Great War. Its restored Lakenhalle is one of Belgium's most spectacular buildings.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • In Flanders Fields Museum

    In Flanders Fields Museum

    Ypres

    No museum gives a more balanced yet moving and user-friendly introduction to WWI history. It’s a multisensory experience combining soundscapes, videos,…

  • The Last Post

    The Last Post

    Ypres

    Every night at 8pm, traffic through the Menin Gate is halted while buglers sound the Last Post in remembrance of the WWI dead, a moving tradition started…

  • Menin Gate

    Menin Gate

    Ypres

    A block east of Grote Markt, the famous Menin Gate is a huge stone gateway straddling the main road at the city moat. It's inscribed with the names of 54…

  • Ramparts CWGC Cemetery

    Ramparts CWGC Cemetery

    Ypres

    One of Ypres' most attractive military graveyards, this Commonwealth War Graves Commission site is found 1km south of the Grote Markt.

  • Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres, Belgium

    Lakenhalle

    Ypres

    Dominating the Grote Markt, the enormous reconstructed Lakenhalle is one of Belgium’s most impressive buildings. Its 70m-high belfry has the vague…

  • Ramparts

    Ramparts

    Ypres

    Ypres is unusual in that it has retained extensive sections of its city fortifications. Designed by French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de…

  • Musée de la Rubanerie

    Musée de la Rubanerie

    Ypres

    This unexpectedly fascinating museum celebrates the ribbon-making industry, Comines’ economic mainstay since 1719. On weekends, passionate, knowledgeable…

  • Merghelynck Museum

    Merghelynck Museum

    Ypres

    Unrelated to WWI, this museum faithfully reproduces a French manor house dating from 1774 and is filled with period antiques and artworks. The catch: it's…

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