10 Things to Do in West Flanders Province That You Shouldn't Miss

December 25, 2017 Jacquiline Delozier

Discover the best top things to do in West Flanders Province, Belgium including Historic Centre of Brugge, Flanders Battlefield Tours, Menin Gate Memorial, Last Post ceremony, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Lest We Forget Battlefield Tours (Flanders), Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery, Saint Julien Memorial, Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
Restaurants in West Flanders Province

1. Historic Centre of Brugge

Markt, Bruges 8000, Belgium +32 473 75 37 45
Excellent
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5 based on 14 reviews

Historic Centre of Brugge

The historic center of Bruges has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 thanks to its status as one of the commercial and cultural capitals of Europe and its enduring Gothic architecture. The Belgian city center is cited as a great example of a medieval historic settlement, even while it has evolved over the years.

Reviewed By PedroOrso - San Diego, California

We spend 2 days and a night at Brugge what an amazing place. I would say there are two Bruges the best me during the day full of tours filled with tourists and the second if you spend the night more relax an peaceful.

2. Flanders Battlefield Tours

Slachthuisstraat 58, Ieper (Ypres) 8900, Belgium +32 57 36 04 60
Excellent
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5 based on 877 reviews

Flanders Battlefield Tours

Reviewed By karenc23 - Liverpool, United Kingdom

On meeting Jacques we instantly knew we were in for a great tour..,he made us feel at ease instantly...His depth of knowledge on the area and how passionate he is blew us away...we visited so many sites..we booked the The Grand Tour which included The North Salient visiting Tyne cot cemetary and lots of other interesting sites..and the The extended tour which was the south salient..we learned so much from him over the both days..we really could imagine how bad the conditions were for those poor soldiers and the local people ...Jacques described everything to us in such great detail and with such great respect ..we feel so honoured to have been on these tours with him..if we are in the area again we wouldn’t hesitate to contact Jacques and Genevra to guide us round ...I have to add too Genevra kept me updated all the time with any questions I had before the trip and the booking process was very straightforward.
.Thank you both for making our stay in Ypres so memorable...something we will never forget .

3. Menin Gate Memorial

Menenstraat | Poort gebouw, Ieper (Ypres) 8900, Belgium +32 57 23 92 20
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5 based on 3 reviews

Menin Gate Memorial

Ypres (now Ieper) is a town in the Province of West Flanders. The Memorial is situated at the eastern side of the town on the road to Menin (Menen) and Courtrai (Kortrijk). The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. Each night at 8 pm the traffic is stopped at the Menin Gate while members of the local Fire Brigade sound the Last Post in the roadway under the Memorial's arches.

Reviewed By Steeve P

The Menin Gate is unique. It's moving. It's mind-wrenching. I couldn't believe so many men from so many different nations had died here... Take your time to read some of the names. Don't forget this gate is actually the gate of a pre-existing wall that used to protect the city, and that this massive wall is now a park where you can relax your mind after the visit of such a saddening monument. Have a walk in that park (on the right-hand side of the gate when you come from the Market Square)!

4. Last Post ceremony

Menin Gate, Ieper (Ypres), Belgium
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5 based on 1 reviews

Last Post ceremony

Reviewed By retracenna - Sunderland

This is a sombre and emotional event which takes place every night of the year in Ypres. Paying of respect to all those who sacrificed their lives in World War 1. The Menin Gate in particular remembers those who lost their lives but whose remains were never found. The scale and sheer number of such men is unbelievable and is really brought home to anyone standing under the Menin Gate. Members of the Last Post Society and local Fire Brigade volunteers sound the last post on bugles every night of the year. Wreaths were laid by representatives of various organisations- several from visiting school parties. For 10 minutes you could have heard a pin drop! This is something I will never forget.

5. Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tynecotstraat, Zonnebeke 8980, Belgium +32 51 77 04 41
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5 based on 1 reviews

Tyne Cot Cemetery

It is now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world in terms of burials. At the suggestion of King George V, who visited the cemetery in 1922, the Cross of Sacrifice was placed on the original large pill-box. There are three other pill-boxes in the cemetery. There are now 11,956 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. 8,369 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to more than 80 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 20 casualties whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. There are 4 German burials, 3 being unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. The TYNE COT MEMORIAL forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery and commemorates nearly 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after 16 August 1917 and whose graves are not known. The memorial stands close to the farthest point in Belgium reached by Commonwealth forces in the First World War until the final advance to victory. The memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by F V Blundstone.

Reviewed By Kerrie A - Bruny Island, Australia

What a brilliant experience , this such a moving place, you can’t believe the moon scape that was once there after all the fighting..they do a wonderful job keeping all the cemetery’s in such great order, it’s a must do and reflect on how lucky we are.

6. Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Ieperstraat 5, Zonnebeke 8980, Belgium +32 51 77 04 41
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5 based on 767 reviews

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Reviewed By PJLOCKW - Chesterfield, United Kingdom

Thus place is amazing. Cost 10.50 euro each and is well worth a visit. Take the audio through the house. Very interesting and informative. Tour takes you through the museum down into a reconstruction of underground tunnels then outside to reconstructed trenches. Absolutely amazing and definitely recommend a visit

7. Lest We Forget Battlefield Tours (Flanders)

Gezelleplein 6, Ieper (Ypres) 8900, Belgium +32 478 35 52 65
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5 based on 96 reviews

Lest We Forget Battlefield Tours (Flanders)

Private battlefield pilgrimage and touring. Maximum of 4 fee paying persons per tour group.

Reviewed By guyaustin1956 - Oxford, United Kingdom

We took a very special short tour of the 1915 Ypres battlefield with Chris, having booked via Milena. The tour was special for our family as we wanted to understand the last days of my mothers Uncle whos name appears on the Menin gate, having...MoreThank you & humbled by your wonderful tribute. Delighted that we were able to rise to the occasion!!

8. Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery

Kartuizerinnenstraat 6, Bruges 8000, Belgium +32 50 33 54 26
Excellent
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4.5 based on 842 reviews

Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery

Reviewed By Sara V

This was an accidental found during our short trip to Bruges. During a beer tasting, I discovered that I really liked this beer, so we went to the brewery for a visit. You get an audio guide in a lot of languages and it's a...MoreThank you for your review! Indeed, you can do the visit at your own pace and speak to the brewer! We are so pleased that you enjoyed our beer and the Bourgogne des Flandres experience :) Come visit again soon!

9. Saint Julien Memorial

Saint-Julien, Langemark, Ieper (Ypres), Belgium
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5 based on 132 reviews

Saint Julien Memorial

Reviewed By Nolinice

The land literally came from Canada to honour, with the stunning obelisk of the mourning soldier, the brave Canadians who filled the gap and held the line after a vicious mustard gas attack by the Germans who decimated the allied troops.

10. Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Boescheepseweg 35A, Poperinge 8970, Belgium +32 57 22 36 36
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4.5 based on 221 reviews

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Reviewed By FiShep - London, United Kingdom

One of a very many immaculate Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries in the region, this one stands out for its visitors centre. Lijssenthoek was the site for a number of Casualty Clearing Stations and military hospitals; the visitors centre offers an excellent narrative of medical support and how casualties were evacuated. We spent a good 40 minutes here before we got out into the cemetery! Those buried here form the 3% of casualties that were recovered back to here, and then did not survive. The other 97% did - now there's a statistic worth thinking on when you see the vastness of the cemetery.

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