Ypres Visit

[Anthony Pigott]

Dear All

We've just decided to make a quick family trip to Belgium in the remainder of half-term (usual advanced planning!). I already have pencilled in Ypres town centre, the 'Flanders Fields' museum, the Menin Gate and a quick tour round the more obvious salient villages. Are there any other items that I should put on my must-do list? Bear in mind that I'll be with wife, 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter and that interest in the Great War is not evenly spread.

Thanks.

Anthony

[BatterySergeantMajor]

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 and dugout experience (in Zonnebeke!) is a must.

Erwin

[Anthony Pigott]

Many thanks for that, Bruce and Erwin.

Anthony

[John_Hartley]

My must see list includes those already mentioned.

Sanctuary Wood - because it's interesting and odd (the little museum)

Yorkshire Trench - because to see it in the industrial environment brings home to me the fact that people live and work around the war - we just visit it

Zonnebeke Museum - the dugout is NOT to be missed. Those folk have done a brilliant job.

Doing all three shouldnt overload the limited interest.

John

[Max]

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 and dugout experience (in Zonnebeke!) is a must.

Erwin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello Erwin

Could you give me fairly detailed instructions on how to get to the museum from Ypres?

Andy

[Max Poilu]

I love the museums in and around Ypres but try to get down to Ploegsteert Wood - park by Mud Corner cemetery and take a walk through to the three cemeteries in the wood. At this time of year, on a misty autumnal morning it is a very special place.

There is also Hill 60 of course and Spanbroekmolen amongst other things I would not want to miss.

Andy,

This may be of help:

http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/passchendaele.html

Once you are in Zonnebeke you cannot really miss it - be aware that the opening hours are quite limited at this time of year IIRC.

Have a good time.

[Regulus 1]

Hooge Crater Museum is also a must.

Hill 62 or Sanctuary Wood is something different. There is after all much discussion on the fact if the trenches and shell holes are real...

A visit to Wijtschate and the Bayern Stellung is very interesting also...

Best from Johan

[Max]

Andy,

This may be of help:

http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/passchendaele.html

Once you are in Zonnebeke you cannot really miss it - be aware that the opening hours are quite limited at this time of year IIRC.

Have a good time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the link Giles. I need something to do to fill the time set aside for photographing Guardian style the Woodstock type event at Tyne Cot

Andy

[Paul Reed]

Some ideas, including some of those mentioned above, here:

http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/ypres_salient.htm

[Anthony Pigott]

That's really helpful. Thanks, everyone.

Anthony

[Max]

Thanks for the link Giles. I need something to do to fill the time set aside for photographing Guardian style the Woodstock type event at Tyne Cot 

Andy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Giles has not complained to me about the post above but if it offended him in any way I apologise and will remove it if requested.

Andy

[Max Poilu]

Andy,

Did no-one tell you? There is no event at Tyne Cot.

As I said, have a good trip.

[Anthony Pigott]

Well, I've been and I'm back. Ypres / Ieper is quite a place.

Thanks again for all the advice last week. In the end, we got to the 'Flanders Fields' museum, the Menin Gate for the Last Post (twice), the Yorkshire trench, Zonnebeke museum, Tyne Cot and driving around the salient to look at the various villages and the 'lie of the land'.

Obviously there's scope for spending much more time there but it was a good start.

As with most places, reading about it is one thing, being there is another. I was most impressed by how relatively small the area of the salient is. As my 8 year old daughter said while looking at the names on the Menin Gate, "You mean all these people died just around here?"

Regards

Anthony

[Max Poilu]

Glad you had a good time Anthony. What did the other members of your family think of the experience?

[Anthony Pigott]

Glad you had a good time Anthony.  What did the other members of your family think of the experience?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. Hard to be sure, I suppose, and probably quite different for each of them. I can make a few guesses. I think my wife was particularly impressed by the scale of destruction in Ypres itself, from the pictures and models and was also surprised to see so many other 'enthusiasts' for the Great War in the town. My son, 10, mostly sees things in terms of the technology, both weapons and earthworks - he especially liked the dugout reconstruction at Zonnebeke. My daughter, 8, tends to be the other way - responding more to the 'touchy-feely' style of the 'Flanders Fields' museum but being bored with the detailed display at Zonnebeke ("not more army stuff!"). Naturally, there's only so much that any of them want to take at once so there was the usual tours around shops and sitting around in cafés.

Anthony

[BatterySergeantMajor]

Hello Erwin

Could you give me fairly detailed instructions on how to get to the museum from Ypres?

Andy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry Andy

I didn't visit this thread in between, so didn't notice your question.

Yoy might have found it, but for the other folks who want to go to the Zonnebeke museum: from HellFire Corner (on the Menin road) direction Zonnebeke (signposted on Hell Fire Corner), cross the motorway over the bridge, and you arrive at a roundabout with a steel monument. Turn first right, in the main street of the village. Once arrived in the centre (about 100 meters before the roundabout in front of the church) you will see a large gate on your right. That is the entrance of the park. Leave the car alongside the road, walk about 200 meters and you will see the chateau, which is the memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. Open all day during the week, but on Saturday and Sunday only from 14.00 tot 18.00 hour.

Closed in December and January.

Erwin

[Anthony Pigott]

Just a photo or two...

Tyne Cot - Friday 30 October 2005

[Anthony Pigott]

and the two horrors at the Menin Gate...

[harribobs]

As with most places, reading about it is one thing, being there is another. I was most impressed by how relatively small the area of the salient is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

we made our first visit this year as well, and that was our thought as well

and a memory from the gate

[TheyCalleditPassiondale]

Dear All

We've just decided to make a quick family trip to Belgium in the remainder of half-term (usual advanced planning!). I already have pencilled in Ypres town centre, the 'Flanders Fields' museum, the Menin Gate and a quick tour round the more obvious salient villages.  Are there any other items that I should put on my must-do list? Bear in mind that I'll be with wife, 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter and that interest in the Great War is not evenly spread.

Thanks.

Anthony

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bayernwald Trenches - Wijtschate

Pool of Peace (Spanbroekmolen)

Hooge Trenches and - Crater

Irish Monument - Mesen

etc. ...