Kemmel: Hills, boardwalks, and grapevines

Starting point: Parking at the end of Kasteeldreef, 8956 Ypres (Kemmel), near Warandepark.

Welcome to this beautiful walk over the iconic witness hills of Heuvelland! Challenging, but with more than enough nice hospitality stops along the way.

We start in the Warandepark and immediately head towards the wooded top of the Kemmelberg. Soon you will reach the Belvédère tower, where you will be treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of the region. Want an early break? Right next to the tower, you can cozy up at the brasserie “In De Gouden Jaren”.

Near the top we follow the path to the right, which leads to Lokerdreef. The route then takes you past the impressive French military cemetery (Ossuaire) and the memorial Den Engel. Via the forest steps you descend to Kleine Kemmelstraat, then you walk back towards the cemetery. Just before that, you turn left to temporarily leave the Kemmelberg.

We are now heading towards the Experience Place of Monteberg. Here you can rest your legs on comfortable wooden sunbeds while enjoying the grazing horses and the soothing surroundings. After that, we walk further towards the Valley of Lindebeek, where wide vistas await you. Sweet tooths and life enjoyers should definitely stop at tearoom/café Deb’s Tea Garden. Their homemade cupcakes are visual masterpieces! But you can also enjoy a pancake, a refreshing Picon, or a local craft beer on the terrace, with a view of the rolling, wooded hills.

The route winds further through the idyllic valley of Lindebeek, where a beautiful wooden boardwalk keeps you dry-footed through the marshy and lush natural landscape. At the furthest point of the walk, we say goodbye to the brook and the path turns left, towards the sun-drenched slopes of Monteberg. You will soon walk between the sprawling vineyards and pass Wijngoed Monteberg—a must-stop for wine lovers!

We continue our way through the varied landscape along the south slope of Monteberg and slowly approach the south side of Kemmelberg again. Here, the charming restaurant/tearoom De Hollemeersch invites you to take a break. The hiking route runs just behind their beautiful garden, which offers a phenomenal panorama over the Heuvelland decoration.

Finally, we start the last part of the journey towards the parking lot. We continue along the path behind De Hollemeersch. Do you want to take a historical detour along the way? Then follow Bergstraat for a while to visit the nearby old command bunker of the Belgian army. A little further on, you can gawk at the notorious steep cobblestone section of Kemmelberg, which cyclists have to conquer three times during the spring classics.

We walk back to the parking lot through Warandepark in a relaxed manner. Is the walk over, but you’re not yet ready to go home? In the cozy center of Kemmel, just a little further on, you can enjoy lingering in the local eateries!