explore wwi outside the classroom · cultural act of remembrance brings together numerous life...

1

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Expl

ore

WW

I out

side

the

cla

ssro

om

in F

LAN

DE

RS

FIE

LDS

2

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

�is booklet brings together inspiring initiatives in various

counties and cities around the First World War. Use this guide to

create your own WWI trip and wander o� the beaten track.

Expl

ore

WW

I out

side

the

cla

ssro

om

in F

LAN

DE

RS

FIE

LDS

5

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

PREFACE

This guide, produced by Visit Flanders in partnership with the Province of West Flanders, aims to help tour operators and teachers organise field trips to WWI sites for English-language primary and secondary school pupils.The guide provides dozens of ideas for enriching the experience for the children. You will find the most famous WWI memorials on the Western Front in Flanders listed in these pages but also many other locations in Flanders Fields and the wider area that tell the story of occupied Belgium. In other words, besides the ones we have all heard of, there are many smaller sites worthy of a visit. Moreover, this guide covers tips for visiting a memorial, teaching resources for preparing a trip, interesting websites, accommodation, alternative transport, how to organise a multi-day trip, and information on the cultural programme GoneWest, including the unique sculpture project ‘ComingWorldRememberMe’.We profoundly hope this information will inspire and help you to schedule trips to Flanders Fields with your school groups. They are most welcome – we consider it our duty to pass on the legacy of WWI by offering them a quality educational and visitor experience.

Geert BourgeoisMinister-President of FlandersFlemish Minister for Foreign Policy and Immovable Heritage

Myriam Vanlerberghe Commissioner for Culture, Province of West Flanders

6 7

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

9 Introduction

10 Tips for a visit to a memorial

12 Inspiration and teaching resources about WWI

15 Gonewest / CWRM

18 Youth accommodation centres

19 Restaurants

21 Sites

73 Transportation

80 Suggestions for tours

84 Fascinating WWI – websites and applications

85 Cross-border projects

87 Other visitor attractions in Flanders

89 Contact Information

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

This guide provides you with an overview of the educational facilities for each site. We also list the ticket prices, the category (museum, visitor centre, military cemetery, monument, etc.), provide brief descriptions, addresses and contact information.

There is also a map with symbols that inform you of what exactly you will find at a location. Two symbols, ‘guide’ and ‘educational package’ , show you when you can make use of either the guide or an educational package.

Are you travelling to Flanders Fields with a pupil/group of pupils with a disability? The wheelchair symbol is used in this guide to indicate accessibility. Some sites are independently accessible, but there are others that do require additional assistance or planning. You will find detailed accessibility information about the sites indicated with the wheelchair symbol in the following brochures: Great War Centenary – Accessible for all and Great War Centenary – Tips for visually impaired visitors. Further info: www.visitflanders.com

SITES

Most visited sites 21 Diksmuide 24 Nieuwpoort 26 Poperinge 31 Ypres 38 Zonnebeke

Other interesting sites 44 De Panne 46 Heuvelland 51 Houthulst 53 Koekelare 54 Komen - Ploegsteert 56 Langemark-Poelkapelle 59 Messines 67 Ostend 68 Roeselare 70 Veurne

8 9

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

INTRODUCTIONIn 2002, the Province of West Flanders decided to combine all initiatives on the theme of the Great War into one network: War and Peace in Flanders Fields.

The initiative is supported by Flanders Fields itself (museums, associations, local authorities, etc.), but the run-up to the centenary also saw the emergence of numerous quality educational initiatives from outside of the Flanders Fields region.

All of these initiatives contribute to the ‘learning from war’ aspect of education about WWI. It is crucial for the story of the Great War to be directed towards the responsibility of memory and a clear message of peace.

The range of educational facilities is so extensive that the Province of West Flanders in partnership with Visit Flanders has assembled them all into a guide full of inspirational programmes and activities organised by the various towns to assist you in planning your field trip to Flanders Fields.

10 11

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

TIPS FOR A VISIT TO A MEMORIAL ¬ Consider well in advance what you want to achieve by visiting a particular

site with your pupils. ¬ Remember that a memorial site never tells just one story. The way that a

place is commemorated can be an interesting subject in itself.¬ Give your pupils the opportunity to explore a place at their own pace and

make time later to talk about it with them. ¬ Look for objects, images, stories, poetry or music that you can link to the

site. ¬ Visit memorial sites in your area. This makes pupils aware of local history. ¬ Wherever possible, allow your pupils some say in the planning of the trip

and let them be the guide now and then.¬ Remember that the sites you visit are no playground. It is proper to visit

these World War 1 sites with great respect for those who have fought and died here.

Source: Province of West Flanders in partnership with the Special Committee for Remembrance Education

12 13

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

TOUCHSTONE 14-18

The 2014-2018 commemoration seeks to provide support for individuals who are involved in or who wish to undertake a project on WWI. For this purpose, Touchstone ’14-’18 was developed, a tool and/or guide to bringing a project to fruition. ‘Learning from the War’ is an aspect of war studies that the Province of West Flanders has been keen to promote for a very long time. The story of the war should be one with a clear message of peace. Remembrance education is based on three very important factors: (1) knowledge and insight; (2) empathy and solidarity and (3) reflection and action. We elaborate on these three factors using challenges, ideas, opportunities and concrete educational projects. We also link this programme with educational attainment targets. Lastly, there is an appendix: background information on WWI. This touchstone wants to help as many people as possible to develop interesting and worthwhile projects on the Great War.

www.west-vlaanderen.be/genieten/cultuur/advies/oorlog_vrede/Documents/Touchstone.pdf

RESPECT! – COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission ensures that commonwealth people who died in the first world war will never be forgotten. They care for hundreds of cemeteries and memorials in Flanders Fields. They are also dedicated to providing high quality learning resources that are fit for all ages.

Have a look at http://www.cwgc.org/respect/default.htm

INSPIRATION AND TEACHING RESOURCES ABOUT WWI - WAR AND PEACE NETWORK

WEGWIJZERWOI.BE (WWI MANUAL)

The website www.wegwijzerWOI.be is a collabo-ration between the Province of West Flanders and the Province of Antwerp for the European project Great War. Visitors can search in depth by topic, timeline, target group or location from a wealth of material about WWI (projects, sites and monuments, books, websites, songs, edu-cational material, etc.). It is available in English, French and German from January 2016.

Further info? www.wegwijzerWOI.be

14-18 ON FILM FOR TABLET

This application gives an overview of what there is to see and do in Flanders fields and aims to provide teachers and students with inspiration for their field trip. As part of the commemoration of World War I in Belgium, young people have the opportunity to create their own film projects using digital storytelling, which stimulates critical and creative thinking. They learn how to analyse historical photographs, write a script and score a film. The emphasis is placed on how and from what perspective they tell their story. The exercise sharpens their sense of history and the cross-curricular approach

can function as a stimulus for a school project focused on WWI. This application is designed for students in the second and third year of secondary education. Further info? Type 14-herd18 and download the free application. The application is available from Appstore and Google Play Store.

14 15

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

GONEWEST: CULTURAL COMME-MORATION OF THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY ‘To go west’, an expression attributed to a Native American belief, means ‘to die’ but it acquired a more literal meaning during the First World War. For the men at the Allied Front, this journey of the dead west to meet the setting sun became more than just a metaphor. The British, French and Belgians occupied the western part of the Western Front, which dissected West Flanders and northern France from the north to the south. They were forced to bring their dead and wounded to the west.

This saying had the dual function of disguising the slaughter and destruction of the war and making it very present. Furthermore, with the German invasion, the war in Belgium moved from east to west through the country until both sides dug in for four years on the Western Front. GoneWest, which was launched in 2014, is, therefore, an apt name for an artistic commemoration of the war years in the Province of West Flanders. This cultural act of remembrance brings together numerous life stories in a historic context. GoneWest unlocks these stories, large and small, through music, dance, theatre, literature and visual arts. If you would like your class to participate in any of the many activities, please click the link to check the programme: www.gonewest.be

This event is ‘Intro ok’, which means that it provides facilities for people with a disability. Further info: www.intro-events.be

16 17

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

COMINGWORLDREMEMBERME

From 2014 to 2018 thousands of people spread over Flanders and the rest of the world can participate in workshops to make 600,000 sculptures out of clay: one for every victim of the First World War in Belgium. All the sculptures will together form the land art installation CWRM that will be implemented on the no man’s land of the frontline around Ypers. Becoming a godfather or godmother of a sculpture costs €5. Half of this goes to charity organisations that help children who nowadays suffer due to current war situations.Every godfather and godmother receives a certificate of participation with in it a dog tag and a CWRM-stamp. Each sculpture will be identified by a dog tag. On this dog tag we will put the name of a godfather/godmother and the name of one of the victims mentioned on the ‘The Name List’ composed by the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres. In the spring of 2018, the installation will be mounted in one of World War One’s most contested spots: the no man’s land of the frontline around Ypres. The clay sculptures will be placed between two large works by the artist Koen Vanmechelen.The impressive land art installation ComingWorldRememberMe will remind us of the uselessness of war: in the past, present and future. ComingWorldRememberMe is intended as a cross-border and cross-generational symbol of peace.

Visit one of the sculpture workshops in Newport or Ypres and play a part in this project.

www.cwrm.be


18 19

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

OR visit In Flanders Fields Museum + guided tour along North Ieperboog Evening: Last Post ceremony at the Menin GateDay 3 Boat ride on the Yser, unaccompanied visit to the Trench of Death

(Dodengang) and guided visit to the Yser Tower.

For more information please contact: Flemish Youth Hostel Association / Vlaamse Jeugdherbergen vzwBeatrijslaan 72, 2050 AntwerpenT +32 (0)3 232 72 18, F +32 (0)3 231 81 26, E [email protected]

Are you looking for a wheelchair accessible youth hostel? The booklet ‘All-in – Accessible holiday accommodation in Flanders and Brussels’ (hostels, youth and group accommodation centres) provides an overview of accessible hostels in the area. A label system shows whether a hostel is independently accessible or with assistance .Further info: www.visitflanders.com

The Outsider coast has three places of accomodation for groups in Newport.Further info: www.theoutsidercoast.be/en/locations

RESTAURANTSThe Flanders Fields region offers a large choice of restaurants in every price range. Websites for each town/city provide information about local restaurants.www.toerisme-ieper.bewww.toerismepoperinge.bewww.toerisme.diksmuide.bewww.nieuwpoort.bewww.zonnebeke.be

Information about restaurants elsewhere in Flanders is available from www.visitflanders.com.

ACCOMMODATIONFlanders Fields offers a wealth of accommodation options, from hostels to hotels, making it easy to plan a trip to this historic area. Hostels are the perfect starting point for group and school trips. They offer a range of quality facilities that ensure your group has an enjoyable and rewarding stay.

Visit the website www.flandersfields.be/en/accommodation. Hotel roomscan be booked online using the booking tool. Hostel rooms must be bookeddirectly. All contact details can be found on the website.

You may wish to combine a battlefields visit with a city visit and stay in one of the other cities in Flanders, such as Bruges or Ghent. The Flemish Youth Hostel Association (VJH) has extensive experience hosting groups and schools. For example, the hostels in Bruges, Kortrijk (new hostel), Oostduinkerke and Ostend (new hostel) offer World War I themed programmes. Example of a 3-day programme:Day 1 Free time, or an activity to be chosen together Day 2 Visit Talbot House in Poperinge and Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

‘Europa’ Hostel in Bruges

20 21

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

MOST VISITED SITES

DIKSMUIDE

MUSEUM ON THE YSER

€ 2.5 • Museum The first Yser Tower was inaugurated in 1930 as a memorial to the Flemish soldiers who died on the front. During the Second World War, the site was the setting for collaborators. The Yser Tower was destroyed during an attack in 1946, but a new tower was erected in 1965. The remodelled Museum on the Yser tells the history of the Belgian-German front during the First World War. There is a clear mandate for the museum: ‘No more war’. The Flemish struggle for independence is also explained. Schools can have guided tours in English by prior arrangement. An educational package is available for secondary schools.

Address - Contact:Museum on the YserIJzerdijk 49, 8600 DiksmuideT +32 (0)51 50 02 86, E [email protected] (only in Dutch)

THE TRENCH OF DEATH

Individual visitors 4 € - Groups 2 € • Interpretation centre and historic siteThe Trench of Death in Diksmuide is the only remaining Belgian trench from the First World War. In 2014, the interpretation centre was totally refurbished. Visitors learn the story of the infamous Trench of Death with the aid of fifteen interactive applications, life-size pictures, film footage and over one hundred original artefacts. Life and death in the trenches is portrayed and personal stories of the soldiers who lost their lives here provide a moving experience of the history of war. You walk across a gigantic aerial picture from 1916 that allows you to compare the landscape as it was with how it looks today. A nearby German bunker was incorporated into the tour last year. This enables us to tell both sides of the war story.

There is an educational booklet available at the reception counter for €1 which is aimed at primary school pupils and families with small children. For school groups, we recommend a guide.

22 23

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

BELGIAN MILITARY CEMETERY

Free • Military CemeteryThis is the resting place of 628 fallen Belgian soldiers. During the Battle of the Yser (October 1914), the recapture of the hamlet of Keiem failed. The soldiers died in the confusion of the retreat to the hamlet of Tervaete across the Yser.

Address:Keiemdorpstraat 143A, 8600 Keiem

Contact:Tourist OfficeGrote Markt 28, 8600 DiksmuideT +32 (0)51 79 30 50E [email protected]

GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY VLADSLO

Free • Military CemeteryThe young volunteer soldier Peter Kollwitz is buried in this German military cemetery. He was not yet 18 when he was killed in October 1914. Deeply affected by the death of her son, Käthe Kollwitz created the famous sculpture ‘The Grieving Parents’. The cemetery contains the graves of 25,645 soldiers.

Address:Houtlandstraat 3, 8600 Vladslo

Contact: Tourist Office DiksmuideGrote Markt 28, 8600 DiksmuideT +32 (0)51 79 30 50E [email protected]

You can download the preparatory educational tool on the website www.klm-mra.be.

“They were moved at times and the visit to the Trench of Death… left an impression.”

“The teachers were also very satisfied with the dedication and enthusiasm of the guides.”

“I heard everyone say... we have to come back!”

Primary School De Klimming Primary School, Sint-Jan Primary School, Sint-Vincentius Primary School and GO Affligem

The visitor centre is wheelchair accessible, but not the trenches.

Address:Trench of Death (Dodengang) interpretation centre and historic siteIJzerdijk 65, 8600 DiksmuideT +32 (0)51 50 53 44www.klm-mra.be

Reservations via “Toerisme Diksmuide”[email protected] +32 (0)51 79 30 50

24 25

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address - Contact: Kustweg 2, 8620 Nieuwpoort T +32 (0)58 23 07 33, E [email protected]


€ 5 • workshopFrom 2014 to 2018 thousands of people spread over Flanders and the rest of the world can participate in workshops to make 600,000 sculptures out of clay: one for every victim of the First World War in Belgium. All the sculptures will together form the land art installation CWRM that will be implemented on the no man’s land of the frontline around Ypres. Get involved in this unique project and come and make your own sculpture in our workshop in Newport. This is open for individual participants from Tuesday to Saturday between 1:30pm and 6pm. Group workshops on demand.This event is ‘Intro ok’, which means that it provides facilities for people with a disability. Further info: www.intro-events.be

Address - Contact: BommenvrijSchoolstraat 48, 8620 NewportE [email protected], www.cwrm.be

NIEUWPOORT

WESTFRONT NIEUWPOORT

€ 3,50 groups 7-25 years, children up to 6 years: free • Visitor CentreWestfront Nieuwpoort tells the full story of the flooding of the plains, which brought the German invasion to a halt at the outskirts of the city. It is the story of the power of the sea and of a daring strategic decision to open the locks.The perfect place to tell the story of this inundation is the King Albert I monument on the edge of the lock complex The Ganzepoot. A modern, interactive visitor centre is located underneath the monument. The projection of the 377 foot long and 49 foot high animated Yser Panorama painting forms a highlight of the visit. Last but not least, do not forget to visit the top of the monument itself and enjoy the panoramic view over the coast and the hinterland.

To assist with the preparation of your educational field trip, a brochure is available from Westfront Nieuwpoort. The educational package covers a trip to the visitor centre as well as a boat trip in the harbour entrance and the Yser estuary, in which comparisons are made between the current situation and that which people would have encountered in 1914.

26 27

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Contact:Tourist Office Poperinge:T +32 (0)57 34 66 76, E [email protected] Department:E [email protected]

TALBOT HOUSE & CONCERT HALL

€ 5 euro per pupil • MuseumIn late 1915, the army chaplains Philip ‘Tubby’ Clayton and Neville Talbot opened a soldiers’ club in Poperinge, the British ‘town behind the front’. This alternative venue for soldiers to meet and relax was to become the most famous of all the British army clubs. Soldiers discovered a home from home here, a place to forget about the war. In this ‘Every Man’s club’, all ranks were welcome, from ordinary soldier to senior officer.

The museum offers a virtual tour during which visitors follow ‘Tubby’s Story Tablets’. These guides lead you through the house and tell the fascinating story of this place using photographs, videos and audio clips.The tablet tours are available in several languages and for different age groups. A group tour is offered for schools in which pupils are divided into small groups that can then explore the house together.

Generally a group visit starts in the old Concert Hall, where a video introduction about the past of Poperinge and Talbot House is shown. For an overview of the options please consult the website of the museum. On request, a British cup of tea can be served after the introduction.

The permanent exposition gives you an idea of what daily life behind the front was like by looking at themes like medical care, life in the soldiers’ camps and holding morality high. To encourage students to discover each theme for themselves, a range of supportive materials was developed. These can be found on the website of the museum or you can ask for them at the museum reception.

Throughout the year several temporary exhibitions and events are also being organized at Talbot House. For the current programme please have a look at the calendar on the museum website.

POPERINGE

DEATH CELLS AND PLACE OF EXECUTION

Free access – monumentThe courtyard of Poperinge Town Hall was used as a place of execution during the war. Here, British soldiers found guilty of desertion, treason or murder would face the firing squad. Today it is an emblematic site that is dedicated to reflection and remembrance. In the death cells, visitors are confronted with a cinematic impression of a soldier waiting to be shot at dawn. There is also graffiti on the walls left by the condemned prisoners. Book a guide: for details and prices, please contact the Tourist Office (max. 30 people per guide)

Address:Guido Gezellestraat 18970 PoperingeOpen daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

28 29

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

The museum is wheelchair-friendly, but Talbot House and the garden are not accessible by wheelchair.

Address - Contact:Talbot House Gasthuisstraat 43, 8970 PoperingeT +32 (0)57 33 32 28, E [email protected] www.talbothouse.be

LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY VISITOR CENTRE

Free entry • Book a guide (max. 30 people per guide).For details and prices, please contact the Tourist OfficeVisitor centre and cemeteryLijssenthoek Military Cemetery is a prime witness to the effects of over four years of violent warfare. From 1915 until 1920 the hamlet of Lijssenthoek was the venue for the largest evacuation hospital in the Ypres Salient. Today, the cemetery provokes reflection on the meaning of the Great War. The visitor centre offers interesting information on this unique site. Discover the story of Remy Siding, a group of Casualty Clearing Stations and of the cemetery, the largest hospital cemetery in the Ypres Salient and the last resting place of almost 11,000 victims representing 30 different nations. Nellie Spindler is the only woman who is buried in a CWGC cemetery in Belgium.

Information includes a timeline, a map of the cemetery, the history of the Great War and the events and non-events relating to the Ypres Salient, Poperinge and Lijssenthoek. Explore the touch table using search tools that cover names, dates, regiments, battalions, etc. Find the exact location of a grave on the cemetery map. Browse hospital diaries or ask a question. View slideshows, displays showing donations and archaeological objects, a 3D film and more.

Listen to thirty audio clips of readings from letters, war diaries, registers, etc. by witnesses from the past and present - whispering to you from behind the walls. Read the story on the calendar of one of the victims who died on the same day of your visit so long ago. Print the page and let the story guide you to that one specific grave. View the photo wall of 1,400 portraits: the faces behind the headstones. Walk to the cemetery along a footpath lined with 1,392 poles and let the cemetery map guide you to a place of remembrance.

30 31

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

YPRES


€ 5 • workshopFrom 2014 to 2018 thousands of people spread over Flanders and the rest of the world can participate in workshops to make 600,000 sculptures out of clay: one for every victim of the First World War in Belgium. All the sculptures will together form the land art installation CWRM that will be implemented on the no man’s land of the frontline around Ypers. Get involved in this unique project and come and make your own sculpture in our workshop in Ypers. This is open for individual participants from Tuesday to Saturday between 1:30pm and 6pm. Group workshops on demand.


Address - Contact:Kazemat, Bollingstraat 5, 8900 YpresE [email protected], www.cwrm.be

Car park – Toilet facilities

Address:Boescheepseweg 35A8970 PoperingeOpen daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact:Tourist Office PoperingeT +32 (0)57 34 66 76, E [email protected] DepartmentE [email protected]

32 33

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

FROM THE BLUFF TO DIE GROSSE BASTION

Booklet € 4 • WalkThe provincial estate De Palingbeek during the Great War. A themed walk (not signposted) in the series ‘Stories for the road’. Walks of 10 km, 7.5 km and 4.3 km in the West Flemish Hills region.

Address - Contact: De Palingbeek Visitor centre Vaartstraat 7, 8902 Ypres-Zillebeke

T +32 (0)57 23 08 40, E [email protected]

IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM

€ 4 • MuseumThe museum focuses on the events of the First World War in Flanders Fields from the human perspective of people from all over the world who shared the same story. Now that the witnesses are no longer with us, the museum presents the war landscape as the last remaining tangible witness. Information pillars form the basis for an educational tour. Schools that book a trip to the Ypres Salient through an educational service automatically receive poppy bracelets containing 4 real-life personal stories that are linked to the tour. Pupils are confronted with places where important events took place and find themselves standing on the exact spots where the central figures of the stories were given medical care or, in the worst cases, were buried. This brings long-ago stories back to life. Besides the themed walks, cycle rides and bus tours we also offer workshops for both primary (from the 4th year) and secondary school pupils.

Further information on educational packages: http://www.inflandersfields.be/en/educational-activitiesThere are some special facilities for people with a visual impairment.

Address - Contact:In Flanders Fields Museum Grote Markt 34, 8900 Ypres T +32 (0)57 23 92 20, www.inflandersfields.beReservations - Petra Delvaux / [email protected]

34 35

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

HOOGE CRATER MUSEUM - ZILLEBEKE

€ 2 • MuseumIn the place where one of the fiercest battles of Ypres was fought and directly opposite the Hooge Crater Cemetery, you will find a unique WWI museum located in a restored church. The museum houses an extensive collection of weapons, equipment and original photographs and presents reconstructions of war scenes.A new section of the museum, opened in 2012, functions as a space for temporary exhibitions and a screening room where you can discover the battlefields around the Hooge Crater from a new perspective. There are various educational activities for primary and secondary school pupils. Details are sent to you online upon reservation.

Address- Contact: Hooge Crater MuseumMeenseweg 46, 8902 ZillebekeT +32 (0)57 46 84 46, E [email protected] www.hoogecrater.com

MENIN GATE

Free • Monument The Menin Gate is the most famous Commonwealth War Memorial in Flanders and perhaps the world. Tens of thousands of soldiers passed through here on the way to the front, many of them never to return. Opened in 1927, the memorial bears the names of 54,896 soldiers who were reported missing in the Ypres Salient between the outbreak of war and 15 August 1917. After this date, names were engraved on a memorial at Tyne Cot due to a lack of space. The Menin Gate was designed in the classical style by Sir Reginald Blomfield. Every night at eight o’clock sharp the resounding bugle call of the volunteers from the Ypres Last Post Association, who are members of the Ypres Voluntary Fire Brigade, pay their respects to the fallen under the Menin Gate.

The central hall is wheelchair accessible, but not the ramparts.

Address – Contact:T +32 (0)477 27 00 61, E [email protected] www.lastpost.be

HILL 62 - SANCTUARY WOOD

Free • Monument - Military CemeteryThis Canadian monument is situated at Hill 62 in Zillebeke. In 1916, Maple Avenue formed the Canadian frontline and was later planted with maple trees in memory of the many Canadian soldiers who died here. There were fierce battles fought for this hill in June 1916. Today, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama of Ypres from here.

Address:Canadalaan, 8902 Zillebeke

36 37

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

took over the sector and the underground battle began. It was probably here that on 17 February the first British mines were detonated. Many soldiers and tunnellers died in the dark tunnels and still lie buried there. Hill 60 is a cemetery without headstones.

Address:Zwarteleenstraat, 8902 Zillebeke

Contact: Tourist Office Ypres,Grote Markt 34, 8900 YpresT +32 (0)57 23 92 20, E [email protected]

YORKSHIRE TRENCH & DUG-OUT

Free • MonumentWhen a new industrial area was developed along the Ypres-Yser canal in 1992, evidence of the war was discovered at a 60-70 cm depth. Unexploded ammunition, structures and human remains were found. In close

SAINT-CHARLES DE POTYZE

Free • Military Cemetery The Saint Charles de Potyze cemetery in Ypres contains the bodies of over 4,000 French soldiers, including 600 unidentified men who found their last resting place in a mass grave. A Breton pieta watches over the dead.

Address: Zonnebeekseweg, 8900 Ypres


ESSEX FARM - SITE JOHN MC CRAE

Free • Military Cemetery A total of 1,185 soldiers are buried at Essex Farm, including one of the youngest casualties of the war: Valentine Joe Strudwick, who was just 15 years old when he was killed.Beside the cemetery, you can still see the concrete bunkers in which a dressing station was housed. It was in one of these primitive ‘dug-outs’ that the Canadian military doctor John McCrae wrote his world-famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ in early May 1915.

Address:Diksmuidseweg naast nr 148, 8900 Ypres


HILL 60

Free • MonumentThis hill was formed by earth excavated for the construction of a railway bed. In 1914, German troops captured the hill from the French. The British

38 39

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

consultation with specialists, the trench was restored along its original route, which included the entrance and exit to a deep dug-out from 1917. Information panels provide a clear explanation of the site for visitors.

Address: Industrial zone along the Ypres-IJzer canalBargiestraat, 8904 Boezinge

Contact: In Flanders Fields MuseumGrote Markt 34, 8900 Ypres T +32 (0)57 23 92 20, E [email protected]

ZONNEBEKE

MEMORIAL MUSEUM PASSCHENDAELE 1917

€ 4 • MuseumIn Passchendaele, over half a million soldiers were wounded or went missing over the course of 100 days in 1917, while the frontline was only pushed back a few kilometres. Over one hundred thousand soldiers died on the battlefields around Passchendaele. The museum wishes to keep the memory of this tragedy alive. The Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum consists of five sections: a historical military overview of the First World War, the Dugout Experience (with a reconstruction of a dressing station, workshops, kitchen, toilet facilities and sleeping quarters), a section about the international dimension of the war, the Trench Experience (reconstruction of a network of British and German trenches) and a remembrance gallery. The museum is housed in the historic chateau grounds of Zonnebeke, which includes the brand new Passchendaele Memorial Park with its Poppy Garden for each nation that fought. The educational package comprises two parts: 1) Educational manual for a hands-on museum experience. The museum

mascot, Olly, makes the First World War easier to understand and more approachable by guiding children through the museum. He tells exciting stories and brings the past to life by setting interesting interactive assignments (max 50 people, primary schools).

Passchendaele Memorial Park

40 41

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

soldiers. The graveyard can be reached from the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 along a 3 km (2 mile) walking and cycling path. The modern visitor centre provides a view of the battlefield and further insight into and information about the battle.

Both the visitor centre and the cemetery are wheelchair accessible.

Address: Tynecotstraat, 8980 Passchendaele (parking Vijfwegestraat)

Contact: Tourist Office Zonnebeke Berten Pilstraat 5/A, 8980 Zonnebeke T +32 (0)51 77 04 41, E toerisme @zonnebeke.be www.zonnebeke.bewww.passchendaele.be

BUTTES NEW BRITISH CEMETERY

Free • Military Cemetery This British cemetery is located in Polygon Wood. The name ‘Buttes’ refers to the shooting mound of a pre-war Belgian military training ground. At the top of the hill stands a memorial to the 5th Australian division, and the New Zealand Memorial to 383 missing New Zealand soldiers can be found at the back of the cemetery.

Address: Lange Dreve, 8980 Zonnebeke

Contact:Tourist Office Zonnebeke Berten Pilstraat 5/A, 8980 ZonnebekeT +32 (0)51 77 04 41, E toerisme @zonnebeke.be

SCOTTISH MEMORIAL FREZENBERG

Free • Military Cemetery This memorial is the only one on the former Western Front dedicated to all Scots and all those of Scottish descent who fought in France and Flanders during WWI. This memorial also remembers those men of the South African Brigade who, throughout the war, fought with the Scots as part of the 9th (Scottish) Division.

2) ‘Platoon Experience’, an educational package for secondary schools (from 14 years). This ‘Platoon Experience’ offers pupils the chance to play a soldier from 1917 and experience one day of the Battle of Passchendaele: 4 October 1917.

Address - Contact:Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917Berten Pilstraat 5/A B- 8980 ZonnebekeT +32 (0)51 77 04 41, E [email protected]

TYNE COT CEMETERY

Free • Military Cemetery and visitor centreThis is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission military cemetery in continental Europe, with almost 12,000 tombstones. The back wall of the graveyard is inscribed with the names of 34,957 missing

42 43

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address:Ieperstraat, Zonnebeke

Contact:Tourist Office ZonnebekeBerten Pilstraat 5/A, 8980 ZonnebekeT +32 (0)51 77 04 41, E toerisme @zonnebeke.be

85TH CANADIAN MEMORIAL

This monument was the first one to be erected in the region. It honours the memory of the 85th Canadian infantry (Nova Scotia) Battalion, which suffered heavy losses during the Third Battle of Ypres in late October 1917.

Address:Passendalestraat, Zonnebeke (at the height of number 84) – Reachable by grassy path

Contact:Tourist Office ZonnebekeKasteelpark, 8980 ZonnebekeT +32 (0)57 77 04 41, E toerisme @zonnebeke.be

NEW ZEALAND MEMORIAL AT ’S GRAVENTAFEL

Free • Monument This memorial commemorates the New Zealand Division’s participation in the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October 1917. This attack by ANZAC forces successfully pushed forward the allied trench line in the early part of the Passchendaele offensive but was followed by the inadequately prepared attack of 12 October 1917. The memorial was unveiled on 2 August 1924 by the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Sir James Allen, who had been Minister of Defence in New Zealand during the war.

Address: ‘s Graventafelstraat, 8980 Zonnebeke

Contact:Tourist Office Zonnebeke Berten Pilstraat 5/A, 8980 ZonnebekeT +32 (0)51 77 04 41, E toerisme @zonnebeke.be

44 45

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address:Kerkstraat 67, 8660 De Panne

Contact:Culture DepartmentZeelaan 21, 8660 De PanneT +32 (0)58 42 97 53, E [email protected]

WALKING/CYCLING ROUTE

‘DE PANNE AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR’

Free • Walking/Cycling RouteOn the occasion of the centenary commemorations of the Great War, De Panne developed a free walking and cycling map that links major events, war relics and commemorative monuments. This guide to enriching and moving walking and cycling tours has one message: ‘Never again war’!

Address:various locations in De Panne and Adinkerke

Contact: Culture DepartmentZeelaan 21, 8660 De PanneT +32 (0)58 42 97 53, E [email protected]

PERMANENT EXHIBITION ‘RED CROSS HOSPITAL’

L’OCÉAN AND DE PANNE 1914-1918’ (12-2014 TO 12-2018)

Free • ExhibitionEarly December 1914, the Red Cross received permission from the War Department to convert the Grand Hotel de l’Océan (a seaside hotel built in 1904) into a frontline hospital. This requisition of the hotel was instigated by Dr Antoine Depage and Queen Elizabeth of Belgium. The aim was to be able to provide surgical treatment to the severely wounded as quickly as possible. On 20 December 1914, the first casualties arrived. When it was founded, the hospital had 200 beds: this figure increased systematically until the final offensive in 1918, when there were 1,800 beds. During the First World War, the hospital treated 24,000 casualties, making L’Océan the largest Belgian frontline hospital. The hospital comprised a total of 46 buildings. After the war, L’Océan returned to being a hotel and holiday

OTHER INTERESTING SITES

DE PANNE

De Panne played an important role during World War I due to its prominent, strategic position in the unoccupied territory behind the Yser river. The town was also home to the royal family during the German invasion.


Free • Military CemeteryThis last resting-place of the dead is the biggest military cemetery in Belgium.It was only in January 1918 that the current cemetery was established, including both military and civilian areas. Today there are 3739 tombstones located in the De Panne military cemetery. Here 3,366 Belgian casualties of WWI (of which 811 couldn’t be identified), 36 French casualties from WWI (of which three couldn’t be identified) and finally also 342 Belgian casualties from WWII (of which 42 couldn’t be identified) are buried.

46 47

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address: Kruisstraat, 8953 Wijtschate

Contact: Heuvelland TourismTemporary relocation from 1 April 2015 to Polenlaan 1, 8956 Kemmel T +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected] www.heuvelland.be

residence and during the Second World War once more served as a hospital. The building was demolished in 1961.

Address: Kerkstraat 67, 8660 De Panne

Contact: Culture DepartmentZeelaan 21, 8660 De PanneT +32 (0)58 42 97 53, E [email protected]

HEUVELLAND

HEUVELLAND TOURISM

Groups 1,5€ • Tourist Office Documentary Zero HourThe Kemmel tourist office is a good entry point for a journey of discovery into the history of WWI. You can watch the documentary ‘Zero Hour’ here, which tells the story of the Mine Battle of 1917. Combined with a visit to Bayernwald, you can watch Zero hour for free, otherwise the charge is €1. Reservations for groups are recommended. There is space for 20 persons in the screening room.

Address - Contact: Heuvelland TourismPolenlaan 1, 8956 Kemmel T +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected]

THE POOL OF PEACE

Free • MonumentThe Pool of Peace is also known as the ‘Spanbroekmolen Crater’ after the mill that stood here before the war. Nowadays, it is a peaceful place of reflection and a memorial to the Mine Battle. On the 17th of June 1917, British troops detonated 19 underground mines, from Hill 60 to Ploegsteert (the Wijtschate-Messines Ridge). The blast created huge craters in the landscape. The Pool of Peace is the largest and most impressive of these craters.

48 49

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

THE LETTENBERG

Free • MonumentThe Lettenberg is a hill (97m) near the Kemmelberg. In late 1916, the British Engineers and Tunnellers began an operation to excavate underground headquarters. The concrete bunkers form four reinforced concrete shelters, some of which can be visited.

Address:Lokerstraat, 8956 Kemmel

Contact: Heuvelland TourismTemporary relocation from 1 April 2015 to Polenlaan 1, 8956 KemmelT +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected] www.heuvelland.be

BAYERNWALD

€ 1,5 for young people up to 26 years old (tickets are only available from the Heuvelland Tourist Office) – Free entrance for teachers upon showing their teacher ID. Bayernwald is a unique German site in Wijtschate and consists of two listening shafts, a trench system and four bunkers. The site is accessed via a footpath through the restored trenches, with information panels that explain the events of the war and life at the front.

Address - Contact: Tickets from Heuvelland TourismTemporary relocation from 1 April 2015 to Polenlaan 1, 8956 Kemmel T +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected] www.heuvelland.be

50 51

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

HOUTHULST

PEACE MILL

Free • MonumentThe position of the Peace Mill on the ridge in Klerken soon led to it being used as a strategic observation post by German troops during WWI. On 28 September 1918, the first day of the final offensive, the Germans still held the position but one day later the mill was finally in the hands of the Allies. This put an end to the German occupation of Klerken. Today, the restoration of the mill ruins means that the building can once again serve as a vantage point. A system of metal stairs allows far-reaching views across the Western Front.

Address:Molenweg, 8650 Klerken

Contact: Dienst Vrije Tijd Markt 17, 8650 Houthulst, T +32 (0)51 46 08 94, E [email protected]

DRIE GRACHTEN (Three Canals)

Free • Monument Drie Grachten is the ideal starting point for a walk through the lovely flat countryside or a cycle ride along the water. This was the battleground of the French Zouaves during WWI. The Driegrachten Bridge was an important outpost in 1914 and 1915 for the Belgian and later the French troops. A plaque on the cafe wall commemorates the Zouaves’ contribution to the fighting.

Address: Driegrachtensteenweg, 8650 Merkem

Contact: Dienst Vrije Tijd Markt 17, 8650 Houthulst, T +32 (0)51 46 08 94, E [email protected] www.houthulst.be

FRENCH OSSUARY

Free • MonumentThe mass French grave at the foot of the Kemmelberg contains the remains of 5,294 soldiers, of whom only 57 have been identified. Most of them were killed during the Battle of Kemmelberg in April 1918. At the top of the Kemmelberg, ‘The Angel’ looks out over the mass grave and the battlefield. This memorial column is 18 m high and represents Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory. The monument ‘The Angel’ is accessible to wheelchair users but the cemetery itself is difficult to access.

Address:Kemmelbergweg, 8956 Kemmel

Contact:Heuvelland TourismTemporary relocation from 1 April 2015 to Polenlaan 1, 8956 KemmelT +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected] www.heuvelland.be

GRAVE OF WILLIAM REDMOND

Free • Monument Despite the fact that Major William Redmond MP was too old to have even been deployed on a battlefield, he fought and was fatally shot during the Battle of Messines. He was carried off the battlefield by John Meeke, a Protestant soldier, and reached the Casualty Clearing Station at the Catholic Hospice at Locre, where he died of his wounds. The nuns buried him in the grounds of the hospice. Later, his body was moved to the Commonwealth cemetery but at the request of his family his body was relocated once more, this time to a grave outside the cemetery walls.

Address:Godschalckstraat (adjacent to Hospice British Cemetery)Loker, Heuvelland

Contact: Heuvelland TourismTemporary relocation from 1 April 2015 to Polenlaan 1, 8956 Kemmel T +32 (0)57 45 04 55, E [email protected]

52 53

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

KOEKELARE

KÄTHE KOLLWITZ MUSEUM

€ 1,5 • MuseumKäthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) was a German expressionist artist. Her son Peter was killed in 1914 immediately upon arrival at the Western Front. The modernised Käthe Kollwitz Museum shows how the world famous artist protested against war and poverty. The museum also tells the story of Käthe Kollwitz as the mother of a fallen soldier.

Address - Contact: Tourist OfficeSint-Maartensplein 15B, 8680 KoekelareT +32 (0)51 61 04 94, E [email protected]


Free • Military Cemetery The most famous Belgian military cemetery but not the largest. The cemetery contains the remains of 1,723 soldiers, mainly Belgians but also 81 Italian prisoners of war. The cemetery is unique for its position on the edge of the forest and for its unusual star shape. Most of the soldiers buried here were killed during the final offensive in 1918. From the cemetery, there are scenic walks through the Vrijbos (woods).

Address: Poelkapellestraat, 8650 Houthulst

Contact: Dienst Vrije Tijd Markt 17, 8650 HouthulstT +32 (0)51 46 08 94, E [email protected] www.houthulst.be

54 55

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

PLUGSTREET 14-18 EXPERIENCE

From €6 per pupil (group of min. 20 pupils with guide) - Centre of interpretation with guided walkYou will find the Plugstreet 14-18 Experience Interpretation Centre just a stone’s throw from the memorial. Here, various aspects of WW1 are illuminated using attractive, modern technologies such as touchscreens, videos and an interactive map (all available in English). A qualified guide will take you through the Centre and the surroundings and relate stories peppered with anecdotes.

We highly recommend combining a visit to Plugstreet 14-18 Experience with one of the outdoor activities (“A walk round Plugstreet”, remembrance locations – Memorial, cemeteries, Christmas Truce – paper chase through the woods, German Blockhaus) and, for the youngest pupils, the British soldier’s light meal.For primary as well as secondary schools there are various educational activities available. The duration is from half a day to a full week.

LANGE MAX MUSEUM

€ 1,50 + € 40 for the guide • MuseumThe Lange Max Museum focuses almost exclusively on the German side of the First World War. Visitors learn about the huge cannon,‘Long Max’, that was mainly used against Dunkirk, and about living and working behind the front line. The impressive artillery platform for the gun is within walking distance of the museum.

Address: Clevenstraat 2, 8680 Koekelare

Contact: Lange Max Museum (secretariat)Oostmeetstraat 61, 8680 KoekelareT +32 (0)476 21 68 59, E [email protected] www.langemaxmuseum.be

COMINES-WARNETON – PLOEGSTEERT

BERKS CEMETERY EXTENSION

Free • Military cemetery The memorial in Ploegsteert is located in the middle of Berks Cemetery and commemorates 11,447 British and South-African soldiers who fought and fell in the immediate area during the Great War and who have no known graves. They lost their lives fighting in the smaller skirmishes that backed the larger offensives.The sounding of the Last Post takes place at the memorial on the first Friday of each month at 7.00 pm. The centre of interpretation is open until 7.00 pm on those evenings.For primary as well as secondary schools there are various educational activities available with a qualified guide. The duration is from half a day to a full week.

Address & Contact:Tourist Information Centre of Comines-WarnetonChemin du Moulin Soete 21, 7780 CominesT +32 (0)56 55 56 00, www.plugstreet1418.comoffice.tourisme.comines-warneton@belgacom.net

56 57

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

in warfare: Yemen, Ethiopia, Tokyo and in 2013, Syria. This signpost aims to bring a strong message of peace.

Address:Houtlandstraat 3, 8600 Vladslo

POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY

Free • Military cemeteryThe cemetery where the youngest allied soldier of the war lies buried: John Condon, aged 14.

Address:Brugseweg, 8920 Langemark

GUYNEMER MONUMENT

Free • Monument This monument to the French pilot Georges Guynemer is surmounted with an elegant stork, which refers to his squadron Escadrille des Cigognes, a combat unit of the French airforce. Guynemer was one of the great pioneers

Address & Contact :Tourist Information Centre of Comines-WarnetonChemin du Moulin Soete 217780 CominesT +32 (0)56.55.56.00www.plugstreet1418.comoffice.tourisme.comines-warneton@belgacom.net

LANGEMARK-POELKAPELLE

GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY LANGEMARK

Free • Military cemetery The German Military Cemetery Soldatenfriedhof in Langemark-Poelkapelle, also known as the Studentenfriedhof, is one of Belgium’s four remaining German military cemeteries from the First World War. Over 3000 cadets and students volunteers were killed in October 1914 during futile attempts to break through in the direction of Ypres. For this reason the cemetery is also known as the ‘Studentenfriedhof’. Its layout and atmosphere are in stark contrast to what you find in the Commonwealth cemeteries, which makes it well worth a visit. The ‘Peace signpost’ at the cemetery points to places where, after its initial use in Langemark, gas has been used as a weapon

58 59

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

all the Welsh victims of the First World War. Adjacent to the park with the memorial, there is a plaque commemorating the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn, where a ceremony of remembrance is held every first Monday of the month at 7 pm.

Address:Boezingestraat, 8920 Langemark

Contact for all sites in Langemark :Tourist Office Langemark-PoelkapelleKasteelstraat 1, 8920 Langemark T +32 (0)57 49 09 41, E [email protected]

MESSINES

TOURIST INFORMATION POINT

Free • Visitor centre This information point is located in the former town hall. The visitor gains an impression of Messines’ role in history and particularly during the WWI period: the build-up and the first battles; the prominent role New Zealanders played during the Battle of Messines, and so forth.

Address - Contact:Tourist Office MessinesMarkt 1, 8957 Messines T +32 (0)57 22 17 14, E [email protected]

IRISH PEACE PARK AND PEACE TOWER

Free • MonumentThe circular tower in the Irish Peace Park commemorates all the war casualties of the entire island of Ireland and symbolises transcendence over religious and political differences. During the Battle of Messines, which began on 7 June 1917, the Catholic and Protestant divisions fought side by side to conquer the hill of Messines.

of aerial warfare with 53 victories, some of his most notable in the skies above Poelkapelle. It was here that he disappeared on 11 September 1917 during a routine mission. His body was never recovered.

Address:Guynemerplein, 8920 Langemark

THE BROODING SOLDIER

Free • MonumentThis monument was erected in memory of the 2,000 casualties of the 1st Canadian Division, who were killed during a counter-attack after the German gas attacks of April and May 1915.

Address: Kruispunt Brugseweg-Zonnebekestraat, 8920 Sint-Juliaan

WELSH NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK

Free • Monument A dolmen of Welsh pennant stone surmounted with a dragon commemorates

60 61

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address: Armentierssteenweg, 8957 Messines Contact:Tourist Office MessinesMarkt 1, 8957 MessinesT +32 (0)57 22 17 14, E [email protected]

THE NEW ZEALAND MONUMENT

Free • Monument A New Zealand division was also deployed at the Battle of Messines. The Australian and New Zealand casualties are commemorated every year on 25 April (ANZAC day).

Address:Nieuw-Zeelanderstraat, 8957 Messines

Contact:Tourist Office MessinesMarkt 1, 8957 Messines T +32 (0)57 22 17 14, E [email protected]

CHRISTMAS TRUCE MEMORIAL

Free • Monument The pupils of the British Mildenhall College Academy and of the German Gymnasium Theodorianum joined forces to create a memorial for the Christmas Truce. The pupils were fully responsible for both the initiative and the design itself. The monument is located at the Peace Village Hostel, which hosts many international projects, and looks over Douve Valley. It was here on Christmas Eve 1914, in no man’s land, that German and British soldiers gathered to play football.

www.peacevillage.be

THE MESSINES RIDGE MONUMENT FOR THE MISSING

Free • Monument This monument is located in the Messines Ridge British Cemetery. It stands

62 63

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Flanders Peace Field is the non-profit arm of the Peace Village Hostel. Inspired by the Christmas Truces, the association organises educational activities and international projects and events related to the centenary of the Great War. It is also responsible for the Messines football pitch, now known as the Peace Field, which it initiated.

MARCH OF THE PHOENIX

100€ per group (no limit) • Evening walk This interactive evening walk of remembrance takes place in Messines. A century after the battle, we set out in search of some of the silent witnesses of the Great War. Reflection and remembrance are at the heart of this walk. Today, we continue to be confronted with the consequences of this war. The tour includes a visit to recent additions to the local military cemetery, a talk on the Iron Harvest, a re-enactment of the Christmas Truce and a traditional Haka ceremony at the New Zealand Memorial. We conclude the walk with a visit to the beautifully illuminated Island of Ireland Peace Park. By emphasising ‘forgotten’ topics of the Great War and working both inductively and interactively, we hope to give the pupils a unique experience. The aim of this tour is to encourage pupils to decide for themselves how they wish to remember the war.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE KIWIS

100€ per group (no size limit) • History walk On 7 June 1917, the Battle of Messines Ridge took off with the detonation of 19 massive underground mines. The New Zealand Division rushed the site where the Peace Village stands today and won one of the first big allied victories of the Great War. Today, the landscape still tells the tale of this impressive battle with its mine craters, memorials and cemeteries. We take the group off the beaten track to visit the New Zealand Memorial to the Missing and some of the latest additions to the cemetery. At the New Zealand Memorial park we explore the German frontline bunkers. We match aerial photographs with trench maps and the bunkers on site. We advance in the footsteps of L Cpl Samuel Frickleton and learn how he won his Victoria Cross. On the Messines market square, we explore the new visitor centre and view original equipment, film footage and impressive panoramic photographs. The group can climb the Messines church tower (+ 30 minutes) to get a good overview of

at the entrance to the cemetery and commemorates the 839 New Zealand soldiers declared missing in action.

Address:Nieuwkerkestraat, 8957 Messines

Contact:Tourist Office MessinesMarkt 1, 8957 MessinesT +32 (0)57 22 17 14, E [email protected]

FLANDERS PEACE FIELD

Educational programme at the Messines Peace Village Youth Hostel • Prices vary according to whether the group stays at the hostel. There is a 50% discount for residential groups.

64 65

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Address - contact:Nieuwkerkestraat 9a, 8957 MessinesT +32 (0)57 22 60 40, E [email protected]://peacevillage.be/en/evening-activitiesAlways open

“The evening walk was well planned and took account of the children’s knowledge and interest. There were opportunities to reflect, interactive elements and enough factual information to engage all the children and develop their knowledge of the underlying history of Messines during the First World War. The dramatic reading of the Christmas Truce was very atmospheric. All was well and carefully supervised. An excellent evening activity which set the tone for a memorable week. Thank you.”

St. Stephens Primary School

the whole salient. The Messines bell tower is home to an impressive carillon and a medieval crypt, in which Adolf Hitler himself is said to have lived. We also talk about the Christmas Truces at the Flanders Peace Field and the Irish involvement in the war at the Island of Ireland Peace Park.

IN NO MAN’S LAND

100€ per group (no limit) • Geocoaching The Christmas Truces form the central theme for this geocaching game. In small groups, you visit five to seven locations, such as the Flanders Peace Field, Messines Church with its medieval crypt and the Island of Ireland Peace Park. At each site, the groups are set an assignment that brings the topics to life. During a final period of reflection, we focus on the contemporary link with today’s refugees.

66 67

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

OSTEND

RAVERSYDE ATLANTIC WALL - AACHEN BATTERY

€ 3 per pupil • MuseumRaversyde is home to the only preserved German coastal battery from the First World War. The site was equipped with guns, observation bunkers and quarters for troops. In order to protect the ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend (from which German submarines were operating) from the feared Allied landing on the beach, the Germans built batteries along the Belgian coast. The remnants of Aachen Battery were the only ones preserved.

During the Second World War, new defences were constructed on the same site, which formed part of the Atlantic Wall fortifications. The eponymous museum introduces visitors to some of the most impressive defence systems of both wars. That it still exists is thanks to the Belgian Prince Charles, who lived here until his death and defended the site from demolition.

Audio guides are available in English. English-speaking guides can be booked. The museum is open from 10:30 am to 5 pm (6 pm at weekends). Last admission 1 hour before closing time / Aachen Battery 1h15 before closing time. Groups, schools: by appointment.

Address - Contact:Provinciedomein Raversyde Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636, 8400 Oostende T +32 (0)59 70 22 85, E [email protected] www.raversyde.be

68 69

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

ROESELARE / RUMBEKE

KING ALBERT I AND THE GREAT WAR

Free • Exhibition in chateau + guide (max 50 persons, 55 euros) and educational package (primary school game) For the WWI centenary commemorations, an interactive schools package was developed at Kasteel van Rumbeke on the subject of Albert I and the Great War. The 4-year project provides pupils with the opportunity to reflect on this traumatic chapter of history. Powerful links are also made between the past and the present.

The day is divided into two parts:• Exhibition in the chateau + educational package with guide (2h) This exhibition focuses on the underreported role of King Albert I and the

Belgian army during WWI. With the famous king as the key figure, we guide your class through the

story of ‘Brave Little Belgium’. Who was this remarkable man in reality, as son, brother, husband, father,

king and commander of the army? And what was the great achievement of the Belgians?

Bring your class and find out all about it!

• King Game (2h, primary school) We’re setting off into the great outdoors! The chateau and the Sterrebos

estate are the perfect setting for a historic game. Primary school pupils gain cross-curricular skills and insights into the war. Search-and-learn activities enforce learning about war and peace and the

links between the past and the present.

From 2016In late February 2016, a new section of the exhibition will open that investigates other aspects of war. For example, the battlefield is not the only place where decisions are made and besides military considerations there are also those of the economy and diplomacy. The educational package will reflect these topics.A project is already being devised for secondary schools.

70 71

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Packed lunches can be eaten in the chateau or as a picnic in the meadow.

Adres:Kasteel van RumbekeMoorseelsesteenweg 2, 8800 Rumbeke

Contact: T +32(0)51 26 97 18, E [email protected]

VEURNE

‘FREE FATHERLAND, LIFE BEHIND THE FRONT’

€2 per person, not inclusive of guide (60€ for a group)• Experience CentreTopics such as nursing (Queen Elisabeth, Marie Curie), education (Queen Elisabeth, Miss Fyfe), entertainment, the foreign soldier, refugees, justice (Rachel Ryckewaert) and King Albert’s headquarters are all addressed.An English-speaking guide is available but have to be booked in advance

Address - Contact:Tourist Office VeurneGrote Markt 29, 8630 Veurne T +32 (0)58 33 55 34, E [email protected] reservatie: E [email protected]

FRENCH OSSUARY

Free • Military cemetery This military cemetery contains a mass grave where 78 French soldiers are interred. Another 186 Frenchmen were buried here, including 8 Muslims.

Address:Oude Vestingstraat, 8630 Veurne

Contact: Tourist Office Veurne Grote Markt 29, 8630 VeurneT +32 (0)58 33 55 31www.veurne.be

72 73

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

TRANSPORTATION

Several companies in West Flanders hire coaches and minibuses with driver.The following companies are just a selection.

Albion

Hulkstraat 3, 8380 ZeebruggeT + 32 (0)50 51 86 88E [email protected]

Keolis

Vlamingveld 6, 8490 JabbekeT + 32 (0)50 32 01 11E [email protected]

Mandel Car

Prins Albertlaan 78, 8870 IzegemT + 32 (0)51 31 75 74E [email protected]

Flamingo busvakanties

Gentsestraat 13, 8530 HarelbekeT + 32 (0)56 70 24 44E [email protected]

Sima Tours

Stattiestraat 205, 8810 LichterveldeT + 32 (0)51 54 12 99E [email protected]

STEENKERKE

Free • Military cemetery515 Belgian soldiers are buried behind the church, including 55 unknown soldiers. The artist Joe English who had an Irish father was originally buried here but was later interred in the Yser Tower crypt. He is mainly known for his design of the Heldenhuldezerk, the special gravestone used to mark out the Flemish fallen hero.

Address:Achter de Laurentiuskerk, 8630 Veurne

Contact:Tourist Office Veurne Grote Markt 29, 8630 VeurneT +32 (0)58 33 55 31 www.veurne.be

74 75

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

in one direction with brown hexagonal metal plates that feature a poppy. The route maps are available for € 2 per route from the tourist office and can be ordered on shop.westtoer.be.

COGGE_GEERAERT, NIEUWPOORT AND VEURNE (24 miles)

This cycling route illustrates the flooding of the Yser plain during the First World War and the roles played by the historic figures Karel Cogge and Hendrik Geeraert. It links places and monuments that bear witness to this remarkable event and that recall the sufferings of war: the Albert I Monument in Nieuwpoort, the Stad- en Landshuis in Veurne, the Belgian military cemeteries of Steenkerke and Ramskapelle, the bust of Karel Cogge, the Ganzenpoot and the Frontzate (former railway bed).

THE LEGACY, ZONNEBEKE (22,7 miles )

The Legacy cycling route starts at the tourist office of the Zonnebeke chateau park and sets out in the direction of Polygon Wood. Adjacent to and in the wood are two British cemeteries - an idyllic setting. You will also find several German and New Zealand bunkers. The remainder of the route crosses the villages of Zandvoorde, Geluveld and Beselare, each with numerous monuments. From Beselare the route heads to Passchendaele, the Old Cheese Dairy and Tyne Cot Cemetery.

POP ROUTE, POPERINGE (25,8 miles)

This cycling route follows the traces of the First World War behind the front, the first stop after the hell of the trenches. Here, soldiers were stripped of their mud and blood drenched uniforms and their wounds attended to or their bodies taken away. Poperinge, or POP as the British called it, was inundated with foreign troops over a four-year period. In POP, they rested among the locals or were court-martialled for desertion or for disobeying orders, which often meant death by firing squad. Museums and visitor centres remind us all of

Suf�s

Europalaan 6-8, 8970 PoperingeT +32 (0) 57 33 34 80E [email protected]

Lenoir

Meenseweg 427, 8902 ZillebekeT 32 (0) 57 20 07 73E [email protected]

COACH PARKING

There is coach parking available at the following locations near important landmarks:

Ypres: Train station. More info about parking in Ypres: http://www.toerismeieper.be/images/ filelib/folderbusregeling2014low_1579.pdfPoperinge: Peperstraat/Oudstrijdersplein, Sportzone Reningelstseweg - Ouderdomseweg, Zuidlaan (adjacent to the ring road), Westlaan (adjacent to the ring road), Lijssenthoek military cemeteryZonnebeke: Museum Passchendaele, Tyne Cot CemeteryDiksmuide: Yser Tower, train station, 4AD music clubNieuwpoort: adjacent to the King Albert I monument

BICYCLE HIRE

You can hire bicycles in the various municipalities:http://www.flandersfields.be/en/cycle-routes

CYCLING ROUTES

For the occasion of the centenary of the Great War, a dozen new recreational cycling routes were created with the theme of the First World War. The circular routes connect numerous monuments, cemeteries and museums that commemorate the terrible war period. The paths are an excellent means of traversing the former battlefields. The itineraries are signposted

76 77

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

illustrate this multifaceted history.

NO MAN’S WATER, LO-RENINGE, VLETEREN, EN ALVERINGEM

(27 miles)

The No man’s water cycle route discovers the area of land between Merkem and Noordschote that was intentionally flooded, located between the IJzer Front and the Ypres Salient.

KÄTHE KOLLWITZ, KOEKELARE (26 miles)

This 1914-1918 cycling route is structured around the figure of the famous German expressionist artist Käthe Kollwitz, who created a masterpiece in the form of the two statues ‘Grieving Parents’, which can be visited at the German Military Cemetery in Vladslo. The new Long Max Museum is also on this route, a site that sheds light on the German side of the war in this region.

YSER 14-18, DIKSMUIDE (25 miles)

Opening 2 October 2015In late October 1914, the front came to a standstill at the Yser river. The Belgian army had been forced to retreat to the Westhoek. The Yser was the last line of defence. As the Belgians struggled to repel the German advance, King Albert I decided to open the locks at Nieuwpoort. The Yser plain was flooded and the Belgian soldiers thus held the last piece of their country. The Yser 14-18 cycling route takes you along the most important sites of the First World War in and around Diksmuide. Yser 14-18 replaces the Never Again War cycling route.

CAR ROUTES

It is also possible to discover the war past in Flanders Fields by car . Westtoer developed three new car routes on the theme of WWI as a result of the Great War Centenary. These and several other car routes have also been compiled into a general map: ‘14-18 Car route map’. The route maps are available for € 6 per route and the general map is available for €5 from the tourist office and can be ordered on shop.westtoer.be.These routes can also be used by buses with a few adaptations. Coaches can,

the horrors of war. Military cemeteries and hop fields punctuate the tranquil countryside

YPRES SALIENT, YPRES (22,7 miles)

The Ypres Salient was formed as an arc-shaped front around Ypres in October 1914. Both camps dug in and fought from their own trench and tunnel systems. From late May 1915 to early August 1917, the ‘Small Salient’ remained virtually unchanged. Half a million soldiers of over 50 different nationalities died here. The Salient was thus known as one of the most notorious zones of the Western Front. This route takes you to the front lines and past the most important relics of the war.

POISON GAS, LANGEMARK-POELKAPELLE (25,8 miles)

On 22 April 1915, German troops opened approximately 6,000 gas cylinders filled with chlorine gas along a 6 km stretch of the frontline, between Stampkothoeve and ‘t Halfweghe huys. That day and in the days to follow, 5,000 soldiers and civilians lost their lives and thousands of others suffered the lifelong consequences of the poison. The use of this weapon of mass destruction is considered to mark the dawn of chemical warfare. The 41 km route takes you past the most important sites relating to this event.

ALLER/RETOUR (THERE AND BACK), ALVERINGEM,

LO-RENINGE, DIKSMUIDE (22,2 miles)

The ‘Aller/Retour’, or ’There and Back’, cycling route follows in the footsteps of the soldiers of the Alveringem army barracks as they made the arduous journey to the Trench of Death in the Diksmuide sector, and then back. Various aspects of the Great War are covered: life at and behind the front, supply routes, medical evacuations and the military strategy to defend this very last piece of free Belgium. The ‘Flemish question’ gives the well-known French term ‘Aller-Retour’ an additional significance. A variety of interesting war relics and monuments

78 79

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Pioneer car route, Zonnebeke (45 miles)

The Pioneer Route explores the area behind the old German front of 1914-1918. Today, this area straddles the borders of France, Flanders and Wallonia. But during the war there were no such borders.

14-18 Car Route Map

Following the commemoration of 100 years of the ‘Great War’, Westtoer developed six First World War-themed tourist routes throughout Flanders Fields in cooperation with participating boroughs. The six routes have now been compiled into a general map: ‘14-18 Car route map’. One side of the brochure shows a map with the routes, and the other side provides practical information relating to each route as well as an overview of the most important WW1 sights that can be found on each route. The map is available free of charge from local tourist offices or from Westtoer (T +32 (0)50 30 55 00 - shop.westtoer.be).

App ‘Tourist Car Routes Flanders Fields’

A very useful tool is the free app ‘Tourist Car Routes Flanders Fields’. The app takes you along the most important sites and places of the Great War in Flanders Fields. It contains pre-defined routes (Ypres Salient, Life at the Front and Pioneer), but it’s also possible to compose your own personal tour based on your own interests. The app contains more than 100 points of interest, out of which you can make a choice, based on a list, a map or a theme. The app is illustrated with archive material such as photos, texts and audio fragments. On some points of interest, there is the possibility to use augmented reality to make the link between today and the situation during the Great War. During your quest, you will meet the persons who will tell you their own Great War story. The app has an offline navigation tool to guide from one point to another in your tour through Flanders Fields. The app is free and available in the Appstore and on Google Play.

however, reach most of the sites using main roads. If you are in doubt, it is adviable to contact the tourist office in either Ieper or Zonnebeke.

Ypres Salient car route , Ypres (42 miles)

The Ypres Salient (known as the Ieperboog in Flemish) was a bulge in the front line. The Germans occupied the ridges which formed a semi-circle around the city of Ieper. This put the British at a disadvantage, since they were overlooked on three sides from this high ground. This was an area of repeated savage fighting, since it was one of the most vulnerable sectors of the front: a breakthrough here could have had disastrous consequences for either side. The route takes you to all the most important sites and monuments on the old battlefields, as well as telling the stories of John Mc Crae, George Guynemer, Passendale, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 60…

Life at the Front car route, Poperinge (53 miles)

‘Life at the Front’ explores the front area between Poperinge, Heuvelland and surroundings. There was the bitter life at the front and the better life behind the front. For four years, Poperinge was the centre of British military operations. For the hard-pressed soldiers, ‘Pop’ was like a little Paris. And Talbot House gave them the comforting feeling of home. From 1915 onwards a large field hospital cared for more than 360,000 sick and wounded. For almost 11,000 of these victims all help came too late. They now lie buried in Lijssenthoek, the largest hospital cemetery in Belgium. Heuvelland was a scene of constant fighting, a veritable gateway to the hell of Dante’s Inferno. ‘Bayernwald’ remained an unconquerable Teutonic fortress for three long years. But in June 1917 the hill country shook to the explosion of a series of great underground mines. Protestant and Catholic Irishmen fought side by side. Thousands of soldiers died during the storming of Kemmel Hill by the Germans. A few kilometres away lies the border between life or death. Heuvelland was a scene of constant fighting, a veritable gateway to the hell of Dante’s Inferno.

80 81

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

- ComingWorldRememberMe workshop in Ieper: 17pm- Menin Gate and Last Post: 20pm

Off the beaten track school tour: the story of the inundation

De Panne – Nieuwpoort – Diksmuide – Koekelare

If you are arriving from the direction of Calais, this is the perfect itinerary for discovering the north of Flanders Fields. Many traces of the spectacular story of the inundation remain in the area to this day.

- exhibition ‘The L’Océan Red Cross Hospital in De Panne 1914-1918’, including British nurses working behind the front or Free Fatherland in Veurne: 10am

- Westfront Visitor Centre in Nieuwpoort, with the story of the strategic flooding: 11am

- ComingWorldRememberMe workshop in Nieuwpoort Bomenvrij: making figurines in memory of the victims: 12pm

- lunch in Nieuwpoort / lunch in Diksmuide: 12:30pm / 1pm- boat trip on the Yser / no boat trip: 1:30pm/x- Trench of Death: 2:30pm / 2pm- Museum on the Yser, with a view over the front from the tower: 3:30pm/ 3pm- Long Max Museum in Koekelare, with military stories: 5pm / 4:30pm

Tip: The Cogge-Geeraert cycling routes and Yser 14-18 offer an alternative way to explore the sights.

Off the beaten track school tour : Women during WWI tour

De Panne – Veurne – Diksmuide – Koekelare – Vladslo

- exhibition ‘The L’Océan Red Cross Hospital in De Panne 1914-1918’: the story of how Queen Elisabeth of Belgium helped organise medical care behind the front and the many nurses who worked there after receiving a crash course in nursing at the King Albert’s Hospital in London: 10am

- Free Motherland in Veurne: the story of the radiologist Marie Curie: 11am

CRUISING ROUTES

Let the waterways be your guide for an exploration of this surprising corner of Flanders, sandwiched between France and the North Sea! This tourist map offers a varied boating route through Flanders Fields, but one that you can easily adapt to suit your own needs and interests.The map is available free of charge from local tourist offices or from Westtoer (T +32 (0)50 30 55 00 - shop.westtoer.be).Further information: http://www.flandersfields.be/en/water-recreation

TOUR SUGGESTIONSBelow are a few itinerary proposals. These are intended as both inspiration and helpful guide so that you can plan your own school tour.

Classic school tour 48 hours

Zonnebeke – Poperinge – Ypres

Day 1:- Passchendaele museum Zonnebeke: 10am- Trail to the British Military Cemetery Tyne cot Zonnebeke: 11am- French Military Cemetery Saint-Charles de Potyze: 12pm- Lunch in Poperinge: 13pm- Talbot House: 14pm- Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Visitor Centre: 16pm- Essex Farm- site John Mc Crae in Boezinge: 17pm

Day 2: - In Flanders Fields museum in Ieper: 10am - Lunch Hooge Crater museum in Zillebeke / Ypres: 12pm- Hill 60 in Zillebeke / Ieper: 13pm - Trail from The Bluff to die Grosse Bastion in Zillebeke / Ieper: 14pm- Yorkshire Trench & dug-out in Ieper: 16pm

82 83

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Accessible tour

View Visit Flanders website for an accessible tour: http://www.visitflanders.com/en/themes/flanders_fields/highlights-flanders-fields-in-48-hours/accessible-tour/

- lunch in Veurne: 12pm- Museum on the Yser in Diksmuide: the story of two nurses at the front,

Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm: 2pm (opens in in 2016!)- Käthe Kollwitz museum in Koekelare: 4pm - German military cemetery in Vladslo: sculpture ‘the grieving parents’ by the

German artist Käthe Kollwitz, whose son Peter is buried here. A German nurse is also buried in Vladslo: Anne Scholne, who died in October 1918: 5pm

Tip: In 2016, several temporary exhibitions on remarkable women during WWI are planned in Flanders Fields (including at the Museum on the Yser). Further information will soon be available at www.flandersfields.beThe Käthe Kollwitz cycling route offers an alternative way to explore the sights.

Off the beaten track school tour: the story of the Mine Battle

Heuvelland – Komen – Wijtschate – Messines

On the way to Fromelles there are a number of very interesting places to visit that tell the story of the 1917 Mine Battle.- Bayernwald in Heuvelland: 10am- Lunch in Heuvelland: 12pm- Plugstreet Experience in Komen: 2pm- Wijtschate – Messines crater trail, including the Pool of Peace, with an

expert guide: 3pm- Tourist Information, Irish Peace Park and the Peace Tower in Messines: 5pm

Tip: In 2017, several temporary exhibitions on the Mine Battle and the third battle of Ypres are planned in Flanders Fields (including in Heuvelland, Mes-sines, Ypres, Zonnebeke and Poelkapelle). Further information will soon be available at www.flandersfields.be

Tours by nationality

Please consult the Visit Flanders Website for a tailor made British, Irish, Canadian and Australian/New Zealand tour. http://www.visitflanders.com/en/themes/flanders_fields/highlights-flan-ders-fields-in-48-hours/

84 85

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

CROSS-BORDER PROJECTS FOR ORGANISATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The EASIER project ‘Facing the Great War’ is a Comenius Regio project within the framework of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme. The Comenius Regio Partnerships encourage regional authorities to reinforce the European dimension in education.

The EASIER partners have designed a high quality itinerary for schools planning a WWI-themed trip abroad. The end product is a handy guide to preparing a school trip on this subject. You can find all sorts of information on this exchange project on the website www.easier1418.eu

There is also a partner search tool linked to the website. You are free to register your school using the link www.schoolmatch.easier1418.eu in order to find a perfect match with a school in another country.

FASCINATING WWI – WEBSITES, INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS

WWWW.WEGWIJZERWOI.BE

WWW.FLANDERSFIELDS.BE

WWW.WO1.BE

WWW.2014-18.BE

WWW.KLASCEMENT.BE/HERINNERINGSEDUCATIE

WWW.HERINNERINGSEDUCATIE.BE

WWW.FLANDERSFIELDS1418.COM: WEBSITE VISIT FLANDERS

Pocket ‘The Flanders Fields Country & The Great War’

This brochure contains a brief historic summary of WWI as well as an overview of the most significant sites that you can visit on your trip. Besides all that, it also gives you a clear view at the wide range of other topics the Flanders Fields Country is famous for (e.g. beers and breweries). A perfect introduction to the Flanders Fields Country.This free and easy read pocket is available at the local tourist offices in the Westhoek as well as via the Westtoer webshop.The pocket is available free of charge from local tourist offices or fromWesttoer (T +32 (0)50 30 55 00 - shop.westtoer.be).

Tourist map ‘The Great War Centenary’

This map offers a wide range of places of interest, monu-ments, museums and cemeteries in the West of Flanders. Besides, this map is a valuable device when planning a trip along the Western Front. Every region highlights some of their most interesting sites on the back on this map.This tourist map is free of charge and is available at the local tourist offices in the Westhoek and at the headquarters of Westtoer in Bruges.

86 87

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

OTHER VISITOR ATTRACTIONS IN FLANDERS

A visit to Flanders Fields is easy to combine with a visit to one of the historical cities of Flanders. Bruges and Ghent are the two closest cities to Flanders Fields. A little further away, but certainly within reach, you find the cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Mechelen and Leuven.

Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the best-preserved example of a medieval city centre in the country, with its bell tower soaring over the impressive market square. The canals that earned the city the moniker ‘the Venice of the North’ intersect the town, providing beautiful historic vistas.

The university city of Ghent has a laid-back atmosphere and some worthy architectural highlights: a fortress, an opera house, a few museums, many historic churches and countless bridges spanning the two rivers that wind through the city.

As the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, Brussels is often referred to as the Capital of Europe. But it has more to offer the visitor than European institutions and embassies: over 80 museums, the King’s Palace, parks and a wealth of history and culture are all readily accessible. The Grand Place, originally built as a merchants’ market in the 13th century, is an unmissable sight.

In the 16th century, Antwerp was one of the greatest and richest cities in all of Europe. Antwerp was home to the iconic Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens as well as Anthony Van Dyck. The modern city is an eclectic mix of beautiful medieval buildings, such as the impressive town hall and market square, and contemporary architecture, with numerous Art Nouveau gems in between.

A lively student population and a rich history come together to make the city of Leuven an attractive destination. It is home to one of Europe’s oldest

88 89

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

universities (KU Leuven), which was founded in 1425. The university’s college buildings dominate many of the squares and streets. Home to Inbev, the second largest brewery in the world and famous for its Stella Artois beers, Leuven is Belgium’s reigning brewing capital. Centuries of Flemish tradition and craftsmanship lie behind Leuven’s premium brews.

Mechelen is a small, picturesque city that is big on charm and history. It is packed with quaint shops, cafes, pedestrianised streets and pleasant squares. Mechelen is a city for all ages. Children can enjoy themselves in the interactive Toy Museum or the Tivoli Children’s Farm. Students from all over the world come to learn to play church bells at Mechelen’s carillon school. It is also home to one of the last remaining establishments in the world that restores and repairs antique tapestries: Royal Manufacturers De Wit.More information on www.visitflanders.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

Province of West Flanders Educational ServiceSofie Viaene – [email protected] - +32(0)51 51 93 65 (primary school education)Heidi Timmerman –[email protected] – +32(0)51 51 94 33 (secondary school education)

Visit Flanders Trade ContactsASIA (Regional manager) – Nico Peeters • [email protected] AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND - Sonia Holt • [email protected] Katrien Dejonghe • [email protected] EUROPE - Alexandra Raab-Frostl • [email protected]

CHINA – LI Xin • [email protected] - Anthony Forest • [email protected] - Britta Weidemann • [email protected] - Dheera Majumder • [email protected]

Oude Markt, Leuven ©Toerisme Leuven

90

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -

COLOFON

Editor: Heidi Timmerman, Province of West Flandersand Veerle Viaene, Visit FlandersTranslation: Heidi SteffesPhotography: Westtoer, tourist offices, VJH vzw, province of West Flanders, Nancy Maertens, Piet De Kersgieter, Willy Verschaeve, Wim Debruyne, Grafiekgroep.Lay-out & print: graphics service Province of West FlandersLegal deposit number: D/2015/0248/19

ITALY - Silvia Clarin • [email protected] - Junko Iida • [email protected] AMERICA - Marco Frank • [email protected] • [email protected] SCANDINAVIA - Lynn Dauwe • [email protected] - Judit Sala • [email protected] NETHERLANDS - Joke Nivelle & Ingrid Bokma • [email protected] KINGDOM & IRELAND - Lisa Thomas • [email protected]

92

Ex

plo

re

wit

h y

ou

r c

la

ss

WW

I -