Location: Diksmuide
Top Things to do in Diksmuide
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Top 10 Things to do in Diksmuide, Belgium
Diksmuide (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌdɪksˈmœy̯də]; French: Dixmude, West Flemish: Diksmude) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Diksmuide proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, Nieuwkapelle, Oostkerke, Oudekapelle, Pervijze, Sint-Jacobs-Kapelle, Stuivekenskerke, Vladslo and Woumen.
Restaurants in Diksmuide
1. Dodengang (Trench of Death)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 182 reviews
Reviewed By Martin G - St Ives, United Kingdom
This trench complex is just outside of Diksmuide at Dodengang alongside the river Yser. They are known as the Trench of Death and was the frontline between Belgian and German forces.
The small museum is informative and there is a viewing platform which provides great vistas of the surrounding countryside and the trench positions along the river. Entry is only a very modest 4 Euros but this must be paid in cash as no card sales are taken.
There is about 400m of trenches which you can walk out and back to experience what life in the trenches must have been like. At the end is a demarcation stone which shows the limit of furthest advance and the helmet depicted atop the stone provides the information of whose demarcation line this is - in this instance it is the Belgian front line.
This is well worth a visit and you can easily accomplish this after visiting the Diksmuide Tower as we did.
2. Vladslo German War Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By Stuart F - Rotherfield, United Kingdom
I visited this site early in the morning, when the temperature was -2 degrees centigrade. The frost on the ground and in the trees made the experience even more meaningful. Since the First World War, this cemetery has been added to and now holds nearly 26,000 German soldiers. The graves are marked by regimented lines of flat, black stones, each bearing the names of twenty soldiers, with just their name, rank, and date of death inscribed.
The cemetery contains a sobering pair of sculptures by the Expressionist Käthe Kollwitz. Finished in the 1930s, "The Grieving Parents" is a tribute to her youngest son, Peter, who was killed in October 1914. The father figure looks to where his son is buried in the cemetery. I first saw a picture of this work when I was a teenager; I was very moved to have stood in the freezing cold and seen the real thing.
3. Yser Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By DrDarwin - Newark
One of the highlights of our Flanders cycling sortie ... ascend 22 floors in the lift, climb 2 more via the stairs for spectacular panoramic views over Flanders, then descend 22 floors of the marvellous museum on foot to fully appreciate the Belgian Western Front. One of the best museums on the Western Front.
4. Museum Aan de Ijzer
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Entrance Fees Per person €8,- Children 7-17 €2.5 Opening hours The Museum at the Yser (the Yser Tower) is open daily January - February - March - October - November - December: from 9.00 to 17.00 (Sat., Sun-. and Bank Holidays: from 10.00 to 17.00) April - May - June - July - August - September: from 9.00 to 18.00 (Sat., Sun. and Bank Holidays: from 10.00 to 18.00) Closed on 24/25/26/31 December 2016, on 01/02 January and from 9th January until 29th January 2017.
Reviewed By Iain S - Bethesda, United Kingdom
A must visit if you are interested in 1 st World War history.Twenty two floors of history with a magnificent view at the top.Well worth the 8 euros admission charge.Experience a history lesson and marvel at the exhibits explaining life as it was for the average person during those terrible times.
5. Ijzertoren
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By bfltd0
The current tower is a museum and replaced the previous structure - which is in the grounds and was dynamited in 1946. The lift takes you to the 22nd floor and there are additional stairs to take you to the viewing platform on the roof.
Unfortunately there were some clouds when we visited but apparently on a clear day you can see the UK, France, Holland and most of Flanders!
There are museum exhibits that start on the 22nd floor and as you descend the exhibits change in time frame, starting from the 1870s to the present day.
There is an excellent introductory video on the ground floor that you must see - it was recorded by a spritely old lady of at least 99 when it was recorded who tells you how to visit the museum.
There are apparently 500 or so steps on the way down, so this may not be the best attraction for persons of limited mobility.
There is a cafe on the first floor where you can recover from the exertion and buy postcards/books/etc as well as tea or coffee (or even a beer as recommended by the nonagenarian guide).
An interesting take on the war experience in Flanders.
6. Blankaart Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
Reviewed By Filip V - Zwevegem, Belgium
this nature reserve deserves rightly to be one of the world's marked water nature reserves. take a hike, take the silent boat (fluisterboot - whisper boat) through the canals and lake. enjoy bird live, butterflies, the noise of grass,... - the area is more than only war
7. City Hall and Belfry
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By helstravels - Middlesbrough
The toursit office here provide a very good town walk on a map support by signs around the town which gives this older history of this town before the wars ravaged it. The Fish Market was a quirky favourite and the walks by the water very pleasant
8. De Dolle Brouwers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By Frans_1Aalst - Aalst
After our previous visit about 8 yrs ago we would have recommended the tour and tasting session to everyone. It was fun, educational and fantastical entertainment by the mother of the 2 owners (brothers). Unfortunately, this lady passed away not too long ago.
Now, the visits are guided by one of the suns/owners, assisted by his wife in the cantine. He is very knowledgeable, but he has by far not the entertainment skills of his mother. It was pretty technical and boring.
But the biggest problem was the far too large group of participants that was allowed to take part in the tour. We were with some 80-90 people. Far too much to understand the explanation in such a large group since there are no auditive aids used. Additionally, there were some locations (cooling cell and upper floor) where we could not even enter the room where the explanaton was given. We left the group (and we were not the only ones) and went straight for the tasting. Explanation about the different beers, given by the lady of the house, was clear and well done. However, when it came to tasting, one had to choose one type of beer and that was it. During our previous visit 8 yrs ago we were really given small quantities of each beer in a tasting glass and while tasting you got the full explanation of each beer.
All in all pretty disappointed from this last visit. Truly hope the owners change the format and no longer allow so many participants.
9. Frontzate Bicycle Trail
Overall Ratings
4 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By DrDarwin - Newark
After the inundation of 1914 the railway line effectively became the Western Front from Nieuwpoort to Diksmuide - cycle along a significant part of history. If the Belgian Army hadn't held this line 1914-18 , history would have been very different !
10. Beguinage
Overall Ratings
4 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By Katrien S - Ghent, Belgium
Like the rest of Diksmuide, this Beguinage was completely rebuild in the 1920´s, however, after it was never used again as a Beguinage. Currently it is a home for mentally handicapped people, and is partially very nicely renovated. This is a very small Beguinage, with basically just to sides around a small green space and a small chapel. It is close to the Vismarkt.
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