West Flanders
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As the name already says, the following region is located in the west of Belgium and more specifically in the west region of Flanders. West Flanders has a total area of about 3,200 km² and covers the whole coastal area of Belgium. With its about 1,2 million inhabitants it is one of the larger provinces in Belgium. The whole province itself is divided into 8 sub-regions which each include a couple of cities and towns.
Generally, West Flanders is most known for its capital city Bruges, however there are also other cities besides Kortrijk and Roselare such as Ypres, Niuewpoort and Diksmuide which are worth a visit. Especially people who are interested in learning about the history of the World Wars should plan a trip there.
Ypres
Ypres is one of the larger cities in the region and located furthest away from the coast from the three cities. It is not only a city but also the name of one of the eight municipalities in West Flanders.
In the first origins, Ypres was commonly recognised for its role in the textile industry and their production reached far into other cities and their markets. Today, Ypres is known for being a battlefield among the German and the counter side British, French and allied forces in the first World War. There have been multiple battles within the city starting in 1914 with the worst one happening in the year 1917 where nearly half a million people lost their lives. In 1914, Ypres was part of the Christmas Truce that unofficially took place among the British and German soldiers between the 24th and 26th of December. In the 1920s, Ypres is said to have become a holy city and a pilgrimage to recognise the fallen soldiers.
Nowadays, many years after the World Wars ended, Ypres was rebuilt after being destroyed due to fires and wars with the help of Germany. The city has gained the name ‘city of peace’.
There are three major sights that can be visited in the city: Town Centre, Menin Gate and War graves. The Town Centre is an exact replica of the Cloth Hall that was built in earlier centuries and destroyed during a fire. The historic building is now merged with more modern things such as shops, restaurants, and bars. The Menin Gate is a war memorial to remind of the fallen soldiers from the first World War. Its location was wisely chosen and every night at 8 p.m. the traffic is stopped and a melody ‘Last Post’ is played. Lastly, the war graves of the battles that took place in Ypres can be visited.
Other sights in the city
Besides the war related sights that can be visited in Ypres, there is also a yearly cat parade which originates from a legend related to witches and their cats. According to the legend, the cats were thrown out of the houses to kill the evil devils. Nowadays, of course no cats are thrown anymore, they are symbolised with stuffed animals. The next event is planned to take place on the 9th of May 2021.
How to reach the city:
The easiest way to get from Kortrijk to Ypres is to take the train. It takes about 35 minutes and has a direct connection, which means you are able to avoid any traffic jams that might appear when taking the car.
Diksmuide
Diksmuide is a smaller city located between Ypres and Nieuwpoort. Its name is made up of two Dutch words: dijk (dike) and muide (river mouth) and originates from its location. Diksmuide is not far from today’s French border and has been part of many wars between its surrounding countries between the 15th and 19th century.
As for Ypres, the Germans tried to conquer the Belgian city during the first World War, however failed to do so due to a planned flooding of the area. The destruction of the city was disastrous, and it thus had to be completely rebuild in the 1920s. Due to its history, Diksmuide has a couple of memorial sights that can be visited. One of them, the town hall, and more specifically the belfry is even recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage.
Another war monument that was build in Diksmuide is the Yser Tower. The memorial ahs a long history, as it was built in the 1920s as a peace symbol however during the second World War it was used as a place for Nazi ceremonies and thus destroyed in 1946 and a new one was built.
Apart from the two mentioned monuments, there are a couple of other cemeteries that can be visited in and around the city of Diksmuide.
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How to reach the city:
The easiest way to get from Kortrijk to Diskmuide is to take the train. It takes about 55 minutes and you have to switch trains once in Lichtervelde. The train departs from Kortrijk this direction every 60 minutes.
Nieuwpoort
Nieuwpoort is located on the coast of Belgium and has about 12,000 inhabitants. It is a municipality as well as a smaller city but ahs much to offer for visitors. Besides having a long sandy beach where you can enjoy the sun, Nieuwpoort also has a belfry which, same as the one in Diksmuide, belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of many belfries in Belgium and France.
Generally speaking, Nieuwpoort does not have many tourist attractions but it owns one of the biggest marinas in the north of Europe, where more than 2,000 boats can lie. Besides that, there is a lighthouse located on the right bank of the Yser, which shows a long history of being destroyed and finally rebuild for the last time in 1949.
How to reach the city:
Nieuwpoort is a 1 1/2 hour trip away from Kortrijk. To get there, you can take the train from Kortrijk Station to Diksmuide which passes Lichtervelde and then continue by taking a bus (no.41) to Station Nieuwpoort-Stad. Be sure to check the bus times before as it does not drive at all times.
When driving to Nieuwpoort, you could even combine the trip with other cities in West Flanders.
