Menin gate

The Menin Gate in Ypres was a dangerous place throughout the war. Whoever passed this spot was on his way to or from the front. The German artillery had the Gate ranged to the inch, so that the troops tried to avoid it whenever they could. The memorial was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. It has the classic form of a triumphal arch. But the Menin Gate is above all a ‘memorial to the missing’.

Its walls are lined with the names of almost 55,000 Commonwealth soldiers, who were reported as missing before 15 August 1917. When the memorial was being constructed in 1927, it became clear that it was too small to carry all the names. Another 35,000 soldiers who went missing after 15 August 1917 were commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. The Menin Gate is the setting at 8 o'clock each evening for the Last Post ceremony.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden