City tour Ypres

The city walking trail Ypres lets you discover the biggest attractions of the city of cats. Let yourself be carried away by the impressive past of the city as you explore the historic buildings along the route. You will discover many cozy alleys, squares, and the green Vauban fortifications. Through the Kazematten Brewery and the Menin Gate, you will reach the Grote Markt, where you can learn even more about Ypres in the museums.

Ypres Museum

The Ypres Museum is the ideal place to start your visit to Ypres and the Westhoek. Discover the captivating history from the Middle Ages to the present day through interactive media and special collections. From archaeological finds and paintings to one of the iconic roller-coaster beetles from Bellewaerde. The museum is located in the impressive Cloth Hall, right in the heart of Ypres' Grote Markt.

In Flanders Fields Museum

The In Flanders Fields Museum provides an ideal introduction to a visit to the front region! The museum arrangement gives you insights into the history of World War I through new perspectives and personal stories. The bell tower connects the internal and external story. As a visitor, you will discover the landscape at the top of the tower as the last witness of the war. Upon your arrival, you will receive an identification wristband. This allows you to choose which war witness you would like to meet in the exhibition. All other interactive presentations will also be displayed in your own language using your wristband. You can visit the museum with an audio guide. The basic tour explores the entire exhibition, but additional in-depth information is also provided along the way. Children can follow their own storytelling path.

Merghelynck Museum

In the Merghelynck Museum, you stroll through elegant salons, mirror rooms, and playful boudoirs. Everything in the house breathes the 18th century. The wonderful art collection was assembled in the 19th century by Arthur Merghelynck. It includes unique porcelain, furniture with fine inlays, graceful paintings, musical instruments, everyday items, and typical 18th-century design. You'll feel like you're in the wig period!

Pacific Eiland

As is fitting for an island, the restaurant 'Pacific Eiland' is located in the water. This inviting area, along the tourist historical fortress route, can only be reached via the 'Peace Bridge.' The Peace Bridge is made of Corten steel. The balustrade has been artistically adorned with the word 'Peace' in 86 languages. The Peace Bridge is always accessible and serves as a new powerful, artistic, and multilingual focal point in the city: a statement of universal tolerance that strengthens Ypres' peace message. Pacific Eiland is very child-friendly, with a playground, an indoor playroom with TV, high chairs, children's meals, changing table,... This island was established around 1640 by the Spanish occupiers to deter the enemy and serve as a munitions depot. Today, it has been transformed into an oasis of peace and relaxation, welcoming both young and old. Set in greenery, 300 meters from the train station, yet only a stone's throw from the city center.

Kazematten Brewery

“The Kazematten Brewery was founded in 2013 within the city walls that surround the city of Ypres. The unique historical casemates of the wooden horse at the Rijselpoort have been transformed into an authentic brewery, where, among other things, the beers Wipers Times and Grotten Santé are brewed.” 100% West Flanders regional products: Wipers Times14, Grotten Santé, Wipers Times 16

Picnic Zone Ypres - Fortifications

At the foot of the impressive fortifications in the center of Ypres, you can enjoy your delicious picnic. Be sure to take a walk on these city walls. The picnic area is equipped with robust picnic furniture. Ideal for resting and enjoying your picnic. Would you like to combine your picnic adventure with a cycling or hiking tour?

Cycling network Westhoek - Junction route - Picnic zone is located between junctions 93 and 38 Through the forests with Jaek and Nink - Signposted round route Front route 14-18 - Icon route Vlaanderen route - Icon route Ghent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields

Hiking hiking network Ieperboog - Junction route - Picnic zone is at junction 63 The Western Front Way

All you need now is your picnic! Are you bringing one yourself? Or would you prefer to order one nearby? Order your picnic at www.visitwestvlaanderen.be/en/taste/delicious-farm-picnics This picnic zone has been established thanks to the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (Eurocyclo Project) and the Province of West Flanders.

Menin Gate

The Menin Gate can be seen as a general symbol of World War I. The monument is a design by Sir Reginald Blomfield. He designed this monument as a classical triumphal arch. But the Menin Gate is also a "Memorial to the missing." On the inside, the names of about 55,000 Commonwealth soldiers who were reported missing before August 15, 1917, are inscribed. This monument is the backdrop for the Last Post ceremony every evening. Every evening at 8 PM, the "Last Post" sounds under the Menin Gate. Daily activities come to a halt for a moment to commemorate the fallen soldiers of World War I. The Last Post ceremony has been organized by the Last Post Association since 1928. You can participate in the solemn Last Post ceremony throughout the year. On November 11, a special ceremony is held to commemorate the armistice. Additional info: Open daily. Free access.

Since 2023, the Menin Gate has been closed for extensive restoration work. The planned completion date is set for March 2025.
The restoration of the main hall has now been completed. From April 8, 2024, work will begin on dismantling the scaffolding under the main hall of the monument. During these works, motorized traffic will not be possible between April 8 and May 8, 2024. However, the pedestrian underpass will remain open, also for cyclists (on foot, with the bike in hand). From May 9, 2024, large parts of these underpasses will also disappear. Only at the level of the facade scaffolding will access to the Menin Gate be possible via a small piece of underpass. Therefore, it will remain necessary to maintain the access traffic under the gate until the end of the works in mid-2025.

THE LAST POST takes place at 8 PM on the bridge until the ceremony can again be organized under the Menin Gate.

2 PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASSES provide access to the city center, there is a ACCESS TRAFFIC into the city for cars, and a TWO-WAY CYCLING TRAFFIC.

BUS PARKING remains at the same location (Hoornwerk).

SCAFFOLDING will cover the Menin Gate, as will the plaques with names.

SUPPORTED by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with grants from the Flemish government and the city of Ypres.

EXHIBITION MENENPOORT at the fortifications, where you can learn about the history of the Menin Gate as well as the restoration.

ILLUSTRATED CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION by Tom Cole, bringing the history of the Menin Gate to life.

Bell Tower

In the 13th century, the city of Ypres built its public buildings from stone as a sign of its power and wealth. And it does so with ambition: the Ypres Cloth Hall and the bell tower are among the most impressive civic buildings in Europe at this time! The Cloth Hall served as a covered market and storage place for cloth at the (now covered) waterway, the Ieperlee. The construction of the halls was completed in 1304. The 70-meter-high Ypres bell tower emphasizes the enormous significance of the cloth trade. This leads to the wealth and power of medieval Ypres. The bell tower was the safest and best-protected place in the city during the Middle Ages. It also served as a storage place for the 'charters' and for the treasury. The tower also served as a storage place for weapons and as a lookout tower. The substructure of the Ypres bell tower, the "Dark Portal," has withstood the centuries and World War I. It is the passage beneath the bell tower. The robust vaults date from around 1200 and are among the extremely rare relics of medieval Ypres that survived the destruction of war. The Dark Portal is also an authentic witness of early Gothic architecture in Ypres. Above the "Dark Portal," beneath the coat of arms, stands the statue of the Virgin Mary of Thuyne, the city's patroness. During your visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum, you can climb the bell tower. From here, you have a beautiful view of the city with its large market and the front landscape. In the distance, you can see the West Flemish hills.