Page 130 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

128  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

e Ypres
32 km (20 miles) S of Veurne.
Road Map A2. * 35,000. £ @
n Lakenhalle, Grote Markt 34; (057)
239220. ∑ ieper.be
Ieper in Flemish and “Wipers” to
the thousands of British troops
who passed this way during
World War I, Ypres was once a
prosperous medieval cloth town.
In 1914, it found itself just to the
west of the front line, the Ypres
Salient, and was demolish ed by
The controversial IJzertoren with its striking cross-shaped profile shell ing over the next four years.
When peace returned, the
0 Kasteel during World War I and of citizens reconstructed their town.
Beauvoorde Flemish emancipation. With the Today, the town acts as a centre
slogan ,“What remains of life?; for visitors to the battlefields
Wulveringemstraat 10, Veurne. What remains of the country?”, and mili tary cemeteries. Its
Road Map A2. Tel (058) 299229. @ the museum emphasises the superb World War I museum,
Open Jul–Aug: daily; see website for
details. Closed Nov–Feb. & 9 = message of peace. In Flanders Fields provides a
∑ kasteelbeauvoorde.be The tower is a controversial moving background, focussing
monument; not only is it a on the experiences of indi viduals,
With its moat, brick turrets symbol of world peace but also with touch screens, video
and step gables as well as a mark of Flemish rights. In fact, projections and soundscapes.The
its parkland setting, Kasteel this is the second tower on the Last Post is played every even-
Beauvoorde is one of the site, completed in 1965. The ing at the Menin Gate, a huge
most attractive small castles first, built between 1928 and stone arch with the names of
in Belgium. An earlier castle 1930, was mysteriously blown 55,000 missing soldiers.
on the site was des troyed up in 1946, no doubt
by Protestant rebels in because of its powerful Environs
1584, and this classic sym bolic connotations. Located 5 km (3 miles) east of
Flemish fortified Ypres, Bellewaerde Park is a large
manor was built in Environs theme park with an open-air zoo.
its place in the early Just 2 km (1 mile)
17th cen tury. to the north of the E In Flanders Fields
Sympathetically Ceramic plate from IJzertoren is the Grote Markt 34, Ypres. Tel (057) 239
restored in the 19th Kasteel Beauvoorde Dodengang (Trench 220. Open Apr–mid–Nov: 10am–6pm
century, the interior of Death): preserved daily; mid-Nov–end Mar: 10am–5pm
contains furniture, carved trenches where, over 1915–18, Tue–Sun. & 7 =
wood panelling and ceramics. the Belgian army blocked ∑ inflandersfields.be
German troops from advancing Y Bellewaerde Park
across the flooded IJzer. The E17/A19 Ypres, exit 3 Beselare,
q IJzertoren German military cemetery at Meenseweg 497, Ypres. Tel (057)
Vladso, 6 km (4 miles) northeast, 468686. Open late Mar–Jan. & 7
IJzerdijk 49, Diksmuide; 15 km (9 miles) 0 - = ∑ bellewaerde.be
SE of Veurne. Road Map A2. Tel (051) contains the heartrending
500286. £ @ Open daily; see sculptures Grieving Parents by
website for details. Closed 3 weeks celebrated Expressionist artist
in Jan. & - = ∑museum Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945). Her
aandeijzer.be 17-year-old son, killed in 1914,
is buried here.
A vast cross, 84 m (275 ft) tall,
rises from the banks of the River E Dodengang
IJzer at Diksmuide and towers IJzerdijk 65, Diksmuide. Tel (051)
over the surroundings. This is 505344. Open Apr–Sep: 10am–5pm
the IJzertoren (IJzer Tower), a daily (Oct–mid-Nov: Mon–Fri, mid-
monument to the Flemish dead Nov–Apr: Tue–Fri).
of World War I, and a physical
plea for peace. It contains an
impressive museum on 22 floors, w A Tour of World
the Museum aan de Ijzer, War I Battlefields
which tells the story of the Moving displays at In Flanders Fields,
Belgian–German con frontation See pp130–31. Ypres’s Word War I museum
For hotels and restaurants see pp266–7 and pp283–6

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm