John_Hartley Posted 3 February , 2005 Share Posted 3 February , 2005 On past trips to Ieper, we've always got off the ferry and driven straight to the town. But next trip, we have an early morning ferry and thought we'd spend some time seeing a few new places. So I was thinking of pottering up the coast to Nieuport before going south mid afternoon. Any recommendations for "must see" stuff along the route? Or any better suggestions. I was sure there was a previous thread here but pruning seems to have gone on. Plans for the rest of the weekend include a trip to the new museum at Zonnebeke and a visit to a recently discovered great uncle buried at Dadizele (Message for Tom Morgan - yep, there's another article being written as we speak. Family scandal revealed?). John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 4 February , 2005 Share Posted 4 February , 2005 Hi John. Don't miss Raversijde near Oostende and the remains of the Batterie Aachen (the last WW1 coastal battery in existance in Belgium?) - trenches, Bunkers, museum etc. Oostende also has the bow of HMS Vindictive and the masts of the Intrepid and the Thetis Then there's the Nieupoort memorial to the missing and the King Albert memorial near the sluices that had to be manned every day under shell-fire. I think there's a French and Belgian Yser memorial here along with a lone grave? Inland there are several remains (look towards the old railway embankment) and bunkers not to mention memorials and several Belgian cemeteries and one German (Vladslo near Koekelare). An OP at Pervijse and remains of the old chapel at Oud-Stuivenskerke. There's also the remains of a fortified railway station, but I can't remember where it is!. Nearer to Dixmude you have "de Dodengang" trench of death and the Ijzertoren. There's also quite a lot more (including a "Lange Max" museum that I've never found open!!!) Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spud Trevor Posted 4 February , 2005 Share Posted 4 February , 2005 John, The Coxyde (modern day Koksijde) CWGC cemetery is a nice place to visit if passing, and although appearing small from the road, after walking down a narrow grass causeway it opens up to reveal a clearing in the trees. If fed up of driving by the time you get there the coastal tram is a good means of travelling up and down the coast. Spud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 4 February , 2005 Share Posted 4 February , 2005 John. Which port are you sailing into? I've always found the French/British/German cemetery at Zuydcoote of great interest. I've also always found the French/Belgian/German cemetery at Calais a good place to ponder at the end of a trip to the battlefields. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred van Woerkom Posted 4 February , 2005 Share Posted 4 February , 2005 Hi John, There is indeed a lot te see. As Dave Croonaert said: Raversijde is very interesting. It is the place where the Regent, Prince Carel, an amateur painter spent his last days. I wonder whether it is open. Best consult the Tourist Information Service at Osten, toerisme@oostende . Ostend has a lot to offer, also a museum of the paintings of James Ensor. Near de Panne is a museum of the surrealist painer Delvaux, mostly nudes on empty railway platforms. Nieuwpoort: certainly visit the Albert Memorial and climb to the top. For further info, go to www.westhoek.be and click on the war in the Westhoek buttons, or buy Major Holt's Ypres Salient Guide, or contact Aurel Sercu or Jacky Platteeuw. Avove all get a good tourist map. All the best, Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred van Woerkom Posted 4 February , 2005 Share Posted 4 February , 2005 Hi John, Here I am again. The Lange Max museum is interesting too, but as Dave Croonaert said, it is not easy to find it open. Only in the weekends I was told some time ago. You will probably find it on the Westheok site I mentioned in my earlier posting. It is near Koekelare, so if the site has no mention of it, click the village of Koekelare in the margin. Also in the same village there is a permanent exhibition of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings in the Great Tower. All the best, Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 4 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2005 Thanks for the suggestions so far. Dave - we're into and out of Calais. And stopping an additional night there (eating , shopping, etc), but should have time for a nosy at the cemetery. "Trench of death" sounds worth a trip. As does the Delvaux museum - nudes on railways is my kind of surrealism Keep it coming. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zijde26 Posted 16 February , 2005 Share Posted 16 February , 2005 Last summer there was an exhibition at Raversijde showing photos of remains of ww1. Has anybody seen them ? Gilbert Deraedt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 17 February , 2005 Share Posted 17 February , 2005 There's also the remains of a fortified railway station, but I can't remember where it is!. ...Ramskapelle!!! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom_Ieperview Posted 23 February , 2005 Share Posted 23 February , 2005 Often forgotten on a trip to this area is Talbot House in Poperinge, at about 10km from Ieper. Talbot House is a sort of living museum that was used back in WW1 as a resting and leisure place for soldiers. Most of the furniture there is authentic and they have a nice library and concert hall. You can really smell and feel World War I in this building. A guided tour should take about half an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wst Posted 2 August , 2016 Share Posted 2 August , 2016 On 4/02/2005 at 10:39, Fred van Woerkom said: Hi John, Here I am again. The Lange Max museum is interesting too, but as Dave Croonaert said, it is not easy to find it open. Only in the weekends I was told some time ago. You will probably find it on the Westheok site I mentioned in my earlier posting. It is near Koekelare, so if the site has no mention of it, click the village of Koekelare in the margin. Also in the same village there is a permanent exhibition of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings in the Great Tower. All the best, Fred Hi Fred, well in the past the museum wasn't actually a museum. It closed and reopened as a brand new museum and doubled in size. The website has all information: www.langemaxmuseum.be/en and www.facebook.com/langemaxmuseum See the website for opening hours. (P.S.: I work as a volunteer there) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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