4 Best Sights in Ypres, Bruges and the Coast

About 100 yards east of the Grote Markt, the Menenpoort is among the most moving of war memorials. It was built near the old Menin gate, along the route Allied soldiers took toward the front line. Troops on the “Menin road” endured brutal, insistent German artillery attacks; one section was dubbed “Hellfire Corner.” After World War I, the British built the vast arch in memory of the 300,000 soldiers who perished in this corridor. The names of some 55,000 soldiers who died before August 15, 1917, and whose bodies were missing, are inscribed. Since 1928, every night at 8, traffic is stopped at the Menin gate as the Last Post is blown on silver bugles, gifts of the British Legion. The practice was interrupted during World War II, but it was resumed the night Polish troops liberated the town, September 6, 1944. Be sure to witness this truly breathtaking experience.

Twenty-five kilometers (16 miles) north of Ypres, close to Diksmuide---a town, which, like Ypres, was completely flattened during World War I---you can visit the so-called Dodengang (Trench of Death), a network of trenches on the banks of the IJzer river where Belgian troops faced and held off their German adversaries for four years. Make sure to dress warmly on a cold day, as the wind tends to add some extra drama by howling across the plain. The Dodengang is only a mile or so from the Museum aan de IJzer, making it easy to combine a visit to both.

Head 5 km (3 miles) east from Ypres along the N8, then follow the signs via Canadalaan and Sanctuary Wood to Hill '62, an old-fashioned museum and dusty café. In addition to photographs, weapons, and assorted objects salvaged from the battlefield, the owner has preserved some of the original trenches on his land. They were part of a tunnel complex that stretched from the coast at Nieuwpoort to the French-Swiss border (at least 600 km [400 miles]). The ground is muddy even on sunny days, so you might need boots to inspect them.

At the western edge of Diksmuide, some 23 km (15 miles) north from Ypres, and just a mile south from the Dodengang (above), the centerpiece of this memorial site is the IJzertoren, a 275-foot tower, rebuilt in 1965 to honor defenders and casualties from both world wars and to represent the Flemish struggle for autonomy. The giant letters on the monument beside the tower (AVV-VVK), mean “Everything for Flanders, Flanders for Christ.” The 22-story tower houses a museum chronicling the two wars and the emancipation of Flanders using images, text, and sound. The top floor and the roof terrace provide a splendid view of the entire area.