Ypres, Belgium
Ypres in Belgium is a historic fortress town and dates from a medieval trade town to the site of some of the worst fighting in World War One. During the middle ages the city developed ramparts, moats, and bastions which surround Ypres. Today the ramparts of Ypres are beautiful and peaceful places to walk and a stroll here takes around an hour.
To the south and east of Ypres walkers will find the most picturesque ramparts. Around the city are beautiful towers and bastions spanning several periods of history. There is the medieval Lille Gate and nearby a cemetery dating from World War One. Many of the gravestones mark the resting place of young men in their teens who died in battle.
One of the most moving locations on the walk is the iconic Menin Gate which is a memorial to 55,000 British Empire soldiers who have no known grave and were killed during the Ypres Salient Battle. Passages lead into the narrow streets of Ypres which was destroyed and rebuilt after being at the centre of battles in the Twentieth century. Today this is a very peaceful and reflective walk to take amongst the battlegrounds of the past.
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