Flanders' Battlefields with SNCB Europe
Flanders fields, Ypres and Passchendaele
Flanders is famous for its beauty, cuisine and friendly people. But between 1914 and 1918, this Flemish region was a fierce battleground. In the area of Westhoek, 1 million allied soldiers were killed, injured or disappeared. In Passchendaele, a town near Ypres, 35 men were lost for every metre of the 5 miles they advanced. Nearly one hundred years on and reminders of this period still dominate the landscape of the region.
Many British people come to the towns of Ypres and Passchendaele to visit the site of this great tragedy, to see for themselves the trenches and battelfields
and to pay their respects. Spend a couple of days in Ypres, a historic city where you can visit monuments built in memory of the casualties of World War I. This town is a good base to explore the surrounding countryside, including Flanders Fields, IJzertoren, Tyne Cot Cemetery, the Trench of Death and the largest British cemetery in nearby Pascendaele
The towns and cities of Flanders can be reached by simple train connection from Eurostar stations Brussels and Lille. Tours can be organised locally and accomodation is plentiful. The Tourist Office of Ypres is a good source of information for your visit.
