Beautiful Belgian Hike: Exploring the Westhoek

October 1914. A hundred years ago, the famous Battle of Ypres took place. After a race against time to reach the beaches of the North Sea and the English Channel, the German troops were blocked on the banks of the Yser. At the end of October, when the Belgian army was short on ammunition, the most famous of the inundations of the polders would begin from Nieuwpoort, taking three days. Between these two cities, we invite you to take the streets of memory into an open, welcoming, and… not so flat Flanders!

The meeting takes place in front of a famous symbol of this epoch in history: the Menin Gate at the entrance to Ypres. This triumphal arch built by the British honors the fallen of the First World War. Here, you are invited to wait for the motorcycle companions and explore the surroundings of this unique monument. Ypres (Ieper in Dutch) is at the end of the A19 motorway from Kortrijk or E17 from Ghent. The city suffered heavy bombardments, and its successful reconstruction was carried out in the original style. Stroll around the Grote Markt and its surroundings; it’s worth it. In addition to a visit to the tourist office, you can visit the excellent museum "In Flanders Fields," named after the poem by John McCrae. This Canadian doctor wrote these lines on May 3, 1915. We will discover the place where he took his pen. We leave the center of Ypres, a charming town with a history dating back to the 10th century. After a few kilometers, we stop at the Essex Farm Cemetery, one of the 170 military cemeteries in the region. John McCrae treated the wounded in the concreted casemates that we will visit next to the cemetery. The poppies that bloomed so proudly were witnesses to the thousands of young people who lost their lives in battle. McCrae was inspired by this fragile flower. Behind it, we walk along the sluice road of the Ypres-Yser Canal, which separated the contenders during the First World War.

Another Flanders

We get back on the road and begin a loop in the south of Ypres. The large agricultural plains dominate. We cross the village of Dikkebus. At the exit of the municipality, we stop at the New Cemetery, used from February 1915 to May 1917. Here lie 624 bodies under the steles… These shocking numbers, which pile up with each stop, can only reinforce us in the idea that life is the greatest gift and that we should enjoy it as much as possible. Our motorcycles and these outings suggested by your magazine go in that direction.

With a bit of a shaken soul, we get back on our machines. Vast landscapes begin to offer themselves to our gaze, nothing to do with the image we have of Flanders, which is built in all directions. We find ourselves at the last foothills of Heuvelland, the land of hills. Beautiful! The roads wind pleasantly, and we encounter kilometer after kilometer with a gentle throttle until Wijtschate, our new memorial stop in honor of these young fighters. We are at a place where the mine warfare caused the most casualties. Both sides dug galleries under the entrenched camps of the enemy to place hundreds of tons of explosives. The area was also bombarded by artillery. How many thousands of shells were fired here? The troops were trapped. Hell came from the sky, and under the feet of the fighters, the ground turned into a meat meal! A horror! We cross this cemetery with emotions. Fortunately, the joys of motorcycling lighten our mood. The small roads are still so pleasant. The view is clear; some large clouds are blooming in the sky: it feels like a painting by Permeke. This route invites a leisurely outing. Our W800, with the good vibrations of its vertical twin, rocks us with its steady poum-poum. This machine is perfect for exploring this region effortlessly. We are now in the heart of the Ypres outpost.

Yperite

After the floods in October 1914, the front line drew a semicircle around Ypres. It is time to reach "Hill 60." It is a strategic bridge fiercely contested by British and German troops. Every hole, every bump is the result of the explosion of a mine or shell, creating a devastated landscape. A sheep grazes peacefully. The color of the grass brings a glimmer of hope to this place, where mustard gas (or Yperite, named after the city of Ypres) was used for the first time. This cytotoxic compound penetrates through clothing and the rubber of boots, burning skin, eyes, and all mucous membranes, causing ulcers that burst quickly. We will walk around the place. The stillness of the site contrasts with what one might imagine from the constant noise of bombs, repeated attacks, and the moans of the wounded. What a terrifying time! It is again with the feeling of being privileged that we mount our motorcycles. The smile quickly returns to our lips as we head towards Tyne Cothoek to other small hills. The place is famous, and the numerous British tour buses testify to the enthusiasm surrounding the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

Situated on a gentle slope, the cemetery houses 11,952 graves. It is the largest military cemetery of the Commonwealth in the world. Along the long semicircular enclosing wall, the names of the soldiers whose bodies were never found can be read. There are 34,863… These shocking numbers make us shake our heads. The numerous fields and the few forests we have crossed allow for the cultivation of many types of grains, the production of many flours, and many breads that we are happy to enjoy. These treasures thrive on soil soaked with blood and wounded bodies. More beautiful roads await us to return to the polders, these low-lying regions below sea level. Our GPS indicates that we are reaching an "altitude" between -4 and -6 meters.

Germany too…

After passing through the village of Langemark, we discover a German cemetery. During our exploration, a memorial service was taking place… Actors had donned the German uniform to pay their respects. The place is touching in its simplicity. The enormous arch made of Weser sandstone (a German river) allows for a view of the tablets honoring the 44,000 German soldiers who found their final resting place here. 25,000 of them lie in a mass grave. After this new experience full of memories and emotions, little curves await us to reach the Ypres-Yser Canal, which served for the floods of October 1914.

On the banks, we discover splendid landscapes. The canal is a wonder of peace and tranquility. One can see at first glance that without the banks and dikes, the entire region would be underwater. We head north. At a bend in the Yser, the famous tower of the same name outlines against the sky. This symbol of peace bears the inscription "Never again war" in four languages. Knowing the streams of hatred poured by certain Flemish movements at these sites every year, one thinks that the horrors of history do not draw lessons. Nevertheless, the place is quite moving.

Another moment of intense emotions is the entrance to the German cemetery of Vladslo. 25,000 bodies rest beneath your feet. At the end of the cemetery, we discover the sculpture "The Mourning Parents," created by Käthe Kollwitz, whose son Peter, who died in 1914, is buried nearby. This statue, depicting Käthe Kollwitz and her husband mourning the loss of their son, has become a symbol worldwide for all parents who lost a child in war. Few people visit German cemeteries, although a very large majority of these victims were forced to be massacred in this remote corner of Belgium. Is a German conscript less worthy than an allied conscript? This reflection accompanies us as we continue along the road by the Yser. This waterway is truly beautiful.

The Hell of the Trenches

A few kilometers later, we reach the famous "Dodengang," the death trench. Probably one of the oldest memorial sites of the first conflict… Here you will discover what the hell of the trenches was like. This is a day when we could, in our own way, address the horrors of wars. We just have to head to Nieuwpoort. The arrival is through the famous roundabout that is dominated by the statue of Albert I. Besides the homage to the one who remains in collective memory as the "Knight King," it is less known that the site houses the five sluices that allowed the Westhoek to be flooded, block the Western Front, and prevent the advance of German troops. To distract us a bit, we will end the meeting with a friend over a glass and take a walk pedibus along the dune, enjoying the beauties of the North Sea…

Gourmet Stops

In Ypres, "Brasserie Central" allowed us to warm up with an excellent hot chocolate. Wooden furniture and a terrace on nice days, a pleasant place overlooking the Grote Markt. Brasserie Central, Grote Markt, 14 in 8900 Ieper www.central-ieper.be. Open from 7 am on Saturdays.

Dixmude: "Water en Vuur" offers you an amazing experience: dining inside a houseboat built in 1942. We opted for a huge mushroom salad. A delight. Not really cheap, but the place and the quality of the dishes served are worth the trip. A little self-indulgence… Water en Vuur, Ijzerdijk 48 (at the foot of the Yser tower) Tel.: 0498/56.55.55, www.waterenvuur.be.