Summer staycation in Belgium: Ypres

To internationals, Ypres is one of the most famous towns in Belgium. From 1914 to 1918, it was the anvil battered by the hammers of Germany, France and the British Imperial forces. Hundreds of thousands of men died during four major battles during this period, which forever changed history.

The then MP Winston Churchill actually pushed for the town and its surrounding villages to be bought by Britain and kept as a permanent memorial. The people of Ypres had other ideas, though, and the town was rebuilt as it was before the bombs fell, with the famous Cloth Hall only finally completed in 1965.

Ypres (Ieper in Dutch) is a living, breathing memorial to the First World War, but one of the nice things about it is that you don't have to be a war buff to appreciate it. It is impossible, for instance, to not to be moved by the Menin Gate or the Last Post, regardless of how many details you know about the Great War.

The Menin Gate, with ramparts to the right

Explore

War tourism accounts for almost 80% of Ypres' local economy. And yet the two biggest attractions are absolutely free. Every surface of the monolithic Menin Gate, with its high arch that towers over Menenstraat and its stairs leading to the park-facing side, is inscribed with the nearly 55,000 names of British and Commonwealth troops missing in action.

Traffic is halted every evening at 20.00, when the Last Post is sounded with crowds of tourists in attendance. The tops of the great ramparts of this fortified city, meanwhile, are now used as walking and jogging paths, with parks and battlefield cemeteries dotting the routes. Take the lovely 20-minute walk through the park from the Menin Gate south to the Lille Gate, for instance.

The Cloth Hall, legacy of the city’s once-flourishing international linen trade, dominates the main square and is now home to the award-winning In Flanders Fields museum. Another ancient building that was reduced to shelled ruins is the nearby Saint Martin’s Cathedral, originating from the 13th century.

The Cloth Hall dominates Ypres' Grote Markt

In the surrounding countryside, hundreds of military cemeteries bear witness to the death and destruction wrought during the Great War, topped off by the brooding Tyne Cot cemetery in which lie 12,000 Commonwealth graves. Lying on the infamous Passchendaele Ridge, the cemetery looks down on the city. All the main battlefield sites and memorials are easily accessed by car; alternatively, rent a bike and explore the many cycle paths.

Visit

The In Flanders Fields Museum is a must for anyone spending a day in Ypres. Interactive installations and hundreds of authentic objects tell the story of the war, from the big picture down to the personal stories. Until February 2021, the temporary exhibition Feniks tells the story of Ypres' post-war reconstruction.

The Yper Museum, meanwhile, goes much further back, relating 1,000 years of Ypres history, from its reputation as a Medieval metropolis to its religious heritage to its struggle with the plague and its troubled relationship with cats.

Eat & sleep

It’s always a pleasure to sit outside on Ypres' main square on a warm evening. There’s a fine selection of cafes and restaurants on Grote Markt, from Den Anker, which has existed, war damage apart, since the 13th century, to Markt 22 and Les Halles.

Pacific Eiland, meanwhile, is, as the name suggests, on an island in the moat waters that flow from the Menin Gate around the south end of the city. A short bridge gets you on the island, where you'll find this family-friendly bistro with its inviting terraces (pictured above). Finally, for after-dinner nightlife, head to one of the many bars on Vismarkt.

Being a top tourist destination, Ypres has an extensive range of hotels, from the four-star Ariane to the marvellously sited New Regina. The Ariane’s restaurant is also arguably one of the best in town.

Photos, from top: (c)Patrick Sennesael/Stad Ieper, courtesy Commonwealth War Graves Commission, (c)Milo Profi/Visit Flanders