Hidden Ypres walking tour: a Flemish city in war and peace

From the ashes of World War I, Ypres rose and became a city dedicated to peace.

On this walking tour, you’ll wander the rebuilt streets of the historic Flemish city that was almost totally destroyed in the war. You’ll find out how Churchill wanted to preserve the ruined city, as it was, and see historic photos of the city taken during war time. But this tour isn’t only about war and destruction. I’ll also show you some of the city’s best coffee spots, romantic restaurants, and authentic bars where you can try a local West Flanders beer.

Starting on the main square outside Ypres Museum, you’ll see ancient buildings that have been carefully reconstructed, including the vast medieval cloth hall, the gothic St Martin’s Cathedral, and the picturesque Vismarkt (fish market). I’ll also take you to the massive seventeenth-century ramparts built by Louis XIV’s engineer, Vauban, on the site of the medieval city walls.

Along the way, you’ll pass reminders of World War I including the In Flanders Fields Museum, the British St George’s Memorial Church, and the beautiful Ramparts Cemetery on the city’s edge. The walk ends at Menin Gate, a huge limestone arch carved with the names of 54,896 soldiers whose bodies vanished in the Ypres battlefields. There, you can experience a deeply moving remembrance ceremony that’s been held almost every night for more than one hundred years.

Some of the highlights of this 90-minute Ypres tour include:

• Seeing the last wooden house in Ypres and a forgotten garden filled with the rubble of the old city
• Hearing fascinating stories about the war years including the 1914 Truce, the creation of The Wipers Times trench newspaper, and one of the loudest explosions in human history
• Learning how the Flanders poppy became a universal symbol of remembrance
• Finding out about the vanished school that once taught the cemetery gardeners’ children
• Discovering the secret tunnel below the city walls and learning about the Sacred Way that follows the line of the trenches
• Enjoying a hot or cold drink at one of my favourite spots, like Mimi’s Koffie en Theehuis, De Ruyffelaer Ieper, or Brasserie Kazematten

If this sounds like your sort of place, let me be your guide. You‘ll finish this walk with a better understanding of this ancient city‘s fascinating history.