Hikes in Ieper

3000 participants for a memorable event in the Westhoek! 👍. In memory of the First World War. a Via Sacra designed to keep alive the remembrance of the First World War and its more than 20 million victims

A beautiful hike around the Rodeberg in Belgium and the Zwarteberg (Mont Noir) in France.

Prettige tocht op en rond de Kemmelberg in het West-Vlaamse Heuvelland.

Something for everyone on this walk: NATURE and CULTURE through the city walk. From Ypres station, we first walk along a section of the ramparts. Then we enter the nature reserve "Verdronken weide". We return for the continuation of the ramparts and then take a city walk. We make use of walking junctions and in the city center a part of the city walk indicated with copper "rivet nails" on the ground.

Lovely walk for a crisp day in the sunshine. Four hours or more if you linger and explore at the cemeteries and memorial sites.

 Walk Training 24-04-2021 Ypres region    

The 26th loop hike on the "Stappen langs de Schreve" hiking trail.

Tour through a medieval fortress townYpres was an important city in the late Middle Ages, profiting well from the cloth trade with the Hanseatic League. The place became known during World War I due to several battles in the surrounding area. The Germans destroyed valuable architectural monuments such as the medieval Cloth Hall and used chemical warfare agents for the first time, marking a memorable novelty in military history: first chlorine gas and later mustard gas. The circular walk explores the old town, largely rebuilt after the destruction, with medieval city fortifications that were reinforced in the 17th century under Vauban, the French fortress architect under Louis XIV, with detached moats and defenses.

The Great Route Path  GR 128 runs from Wissant to Aachen. The route in France is highly recommended due to the tranquility, natural beauty, and authentic villages that sometimes resemble old Flemish ones. I have adjusted the route in France slightly to keep the stages approximately between 12 and 15 kilometers and also to consider available parking spots. We stay for a midweek each time and look for accommodation somewhere in the middle of the stages we plan to undertake. We park the car at the end point of the walk. Then we bike to the starting point. We pick up the bikes by car and then drive back to our accommodation, or make a visit somewhere along the way by car. The route in French Flanders is approximately 150 kilometers. We completed it in 3 midweek stays. The stages are divided as follows:   STAGE 1:        WISSANT – PEUPLINGUES 1                          15 Km walking and 8 Kilometers cycling STAGE 2 :       PEUPLINGUES – HAMES BOUCRES                                       12 Km walking and 6 Km cycling STAGE 3 :       HAMES BOUCRES – BOUQUEHAULT                                    12 KM walking and 15 Km cycling STAGE 4:        LE VENTUS d’ ALEMBON – AUDENFORT                               10 Km walking and 11 Km cycling STAGE 5 :       AUDENFORT – TOURNEHEM SUR HEM                           13 Km walking and 9 Km cycling STAGE 6:        TOURNEHEM SUR HEM – FôRET d‘ EPERLECQUES                           12 Km walking and 8 Kilometers cycling STAGE 7:        Fôret d’ Eperlecques – WULVERDINGHE                           12 Km walking and 12 Km cycling STAGE 8:        WULVERDINGHE – NIEURLET                          10 Km walking and 8 Km cycling STAGE 9:        NIEURLET – BUYSSCHEURE                           12 Km walking and 5 Kilometers cycling STAGE 10:     NOORDPEENE – CASSEL                          12 Km walking and 10 Km cycling STAGE 11:     CASSEL – GODEWAERTSVELDE                           16 Km walking and 15 Km cycling STAGE 12:     GODEWAERSVELDE – BANENBERG (Belgium)                          12 Km walking and 11 Km cycling STAGE 13:     BANENBERG – KEMMEL Via walking junctions and GR 5A to the Kemmelberg where the GR 128 starts in Belgium. ALL STAGES CAN BE CONSULTED SEPARATELY ON THE MAP Recommended off path: The beaches on the Opal Coast Channel Tunnel Expo Visit to Saint Omer Visit to Cassel

Forest Hike near ZillebekeSouth of Ypres lies a 230-hectare forest area, which technically consists of eight forests. This hike takes you through Zwarte Leen, Groenenburg, and Zandvoordebos as well as the Landgoed Godtschalck. As elsewhere around Ypres, we move on historically significant ground – at the start, we pass the Mont Sorrel hill, the site of clashes between Canadian and German troops during the First World War. The circular hike zigzags through forest with many beech avenues and across open areas with wide views.