Memories of the First World War

This region is also characterized by the heavy fighting in the First World War and the many losses suffered. The region is therefore dotted with military cemeteries, memorials and war memorials.

Ypres was surrounded on three sides by German troops during the First World War. Despite a number of major battles that cost the lives of 500,000 soldiers, Ypres remained out of the hands of the Germans. However, the city was completely destroyed. Reconstruction took more than forty years. For many, especially the British, Ypres is the center of commemoration of the First World War. The fields around the city are dotted with more than 170 cemeteries.

The Grote Markt of Ypres gives the city its medieval appearance. In the Lakenhalle, a UNESCO protected monument, you will find the In Flanders Fields Museum. This permanent exhibition highlights the run-up to the war, the war years, the post-war period and the commemoration since then. The museum mainly focuses on the stories of the contemporaries who experienced the war, which makes a visit to the museum a profound experience.

Regional Museum Zonnebeke is now called Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. The museum is housed in the historic castle grounds of Zonnebeke, on the road to Tyne Cot Cemetery. Tyne Cot is the largest military cemetery for British servicemen, with nearly 12,000 graves and an impressive memorial. In Passchendaele, during the British offensive of 1917, 500,000 soldiers were injured or killed in 100 days. In the Memorial Museum, the battle is portrayed with photo and film images, an extensive collection of historical objects and vividly reconstructed scenes.