Ypres

Ypres (Dutch: Ieper, both pronounced "eeper") is a friendly town of 35,000 inhabitants in Flanders endowed with wonderful architecture and a troubled past. Ypres is best known as the site of three major battles of the First World War, the most famous being the Battle of Passchendaele from July—November 1917. The many memorials and cemeteries of the fallen in and around Ypres draw thousands of visitors each year. The belfry of Ypres is a.

Town name and languages
The official Dutch name for the city is Ieper - this is the version of the name you will see most commonly in and around the Flemish-speaking town. Most native English speakers, however, will know the town by its French name Ypres, as popularised in media and history texts during and immediately after the First World War.

History
The town of Ypres formed the centre of the so-called "Ypres Salient" during most of the First World War—an area of Allied (British and Belgian)-held land surrounded on three sides by the German front line that formed the northernmost section of the Western Front. Holding Ypres was vital for the Allies in their bid to prevent the Germans from gaining control of all the Channel ports, vital for the transport and supply of the British Expeditionary Force. As a result, the city became the focus of several major battles to break in and out of the Salient and was subjected to fairly continuous bombardment by German artillery for most of the war. By 1918, little remained of the town but shattered ruins surrounded by muddy shell-pocked fields.

After the First World War, most of central Ypres was rebuilt with German reparations (war debt) money. This was a lengthy process: the famous Cloth Hall was not completed until the 1960s.

By train
Ypres has its own. From there, you can easily walk to the city center. But the station is poorly served, causing slow connections to most other towns a bit further away.

By bus
Ypres has bus lines towards neighbouring towns.

By car
Ypres is easily reachable by car - highway to Kortrijk, then follow directions for Ieper (A19).

From the ports of Calais or Dunkirk, take the A16 East, turning off at junction 28 (A25 towards Lille). Get off at Junction 13 and follow the signs for Ypres (Ieper).

Ypres isn't big, so it's perfectly traversable by car. You can park at the main square, in front of the cloth hall for a small fee (except during the weekly or other market), or freely near to the train station. A car also allows you to visit places further on such as the various cemeteries.

By bicycle
Although it's a nice region to cycle, the distances are often too far when you have a specific destination outside the city centre.

Get around
Ypres city centre is best approached on foot.

For visiting the war graves and memorials, one could use a car or cycle. Take the guided "Battle field tour" - bus, or buy an audio tour on the internet - same sites, but a lot cheaper if you have your own transport

See
The attractions of Ypres are divided between the town center and several villages in the surrounding countryside - most of the battlefields and cemeteries are in the latter. For these, a car, bike or an arranged tour would be best.

Landmarks and memorials

 * This memorial contains huge panels inside and out into which are carved the names of the 54,896 officers and men of the British Empire forces who died in the Ypres Salient area and who have no known graves. The names recorded on the gate's panels are those of men who died in the area between the outbreak of the war in 1914 and 15 August 1917. The names of a further 34,984 of the missing - those who died between 16 August 1917 and the end of the war, are recorded on carved panels at Tyne Cot Cemetery, on the slopes just below Passchendaele.
 * The first Cloth Hall was built around 1200 as a center of Flemish wealth, and completely destroyed by German artillery shelling in 1916. The Cloth Hall was rebuilt in 1962 as the symbol of a resurgent city. Contains the In Flanders Fields Museum (see below).
 * The first Cloth Hall was built around 1200 as a center of Flemish wealth, and completely destroyed by German artillery shelling in 1916. The Cloth Hall was rebuilt in 1962 as the symbol of a resurgent city. Contains the In Flanders Fields Museum (see below).

Do

 * Wonderful countryside with many routes for walking and cycling.

Buy

 * Lovely shops and cafes selling Belgian chocolates and beer.
 * Things from the World War I period in dedicated shops, for example near the Menin Gate.

Eat
The marketplace has several restaurants, pubs and places to sit outside during the summer.

Tuesdays usually host a music night outside, organised by "'t Klein Stadhuis" next to the cloth halls and the city hall.



Sleep
The region around Ypres has many small B&Bs, and in the city centre, there are also several hotels.



Stay safe
Ypres is generally very safe. Pickpockets are rare, and violence is very rare. Do watch out in the streets where there's busy traffic.

Go next

 * Kortrijk is the closest city reachable by rail. Kortrijk is a nice provincial city offering history or shopping and has important rail connections to Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Lille.
 * When you travel by car, it's also easy to reach the other towns that were an importance in World War I, such as Nieuwpoort, Diksmuide, Poperinge and Menin.
 * The Belgian coast isn't far away, with sand beaches and picturesque towns a bit further from the beach. Those towns include Veurne, Koksijde and Nieuwpoort.