Exclusive Free Cycle Route WW1 Sights South Ypres. Join us as we embark on a journey through time as we pedal our way south through the historic landscapes of Ypres, Salient.
Immersing ourselves in the poignant history of World War 1. Join us as we visit a series of significant WW1 sites with this free map and information. Tracing the footsteps of men who fought and sacrificed their lives in this tumultuous period of history.
Bike Hire
We choose to hire from Biking Box as it is closest to our side of Ypres. They offer a discount for multiple day hire. As this is our second day of exploration we already have our pushbikes (all the Electric bikes were already booked and we had not pre-booked our bikes). The panniers and phone holder (navigation) are included in the hire price.
Pushbikes are perfect for the terrain which is flat. Also most the the route is on quiet backroads or designated cycle paths.
Cycling in Belgium is a delight!
wee wild adventures
Route Planning – Exclusive Free Cycle Route WW1 Sights South Ypres
The Tourist Information Office in Ypres (Ieper) is a great resource. We collect leaflets, brochures and maps to get inspired for our few days of cycling and exploring. This Map “Flanders Fields’ will become our main resource for planning each route. We use google research to see if the site will be of particular interest to us.
The Route
- Sanctuary Wood Cemetery
- Hill 62
- Hill 60
- Caterpillar Crater
- Bayernwald Trenches
- Messines Ridge British Cemetery (Mesen)
- Irish Peace Park
- Christmas Truce Memorial (Lunch break)
- Memorial Christmas Truce Peace Village Mesen (Silent Night Memorial)
- Pool of Peace
- Lettenburg Bunkers
- American Monument
Sanctuary Wood Cemetery
Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, a serene resting place for soldiers who fell during the war. Located only 5km outside of Ypres.
Along the way, we pass through picturesque countryside, cycling along bike lanes and quiet roads that wind through the Belgian landscape. There are now 1,989 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery.
Hill 62
This memorial commemorates the Canadian forces who defended the Ypres Salient. This area was of strategic importance is the predominantly flat area of Belgium.
Hill 60
Hill 60 is high ground created after excavations from the nearby railway track. High ground was of great value during WW1 in the flat lands of Belgium. These hillocks are a great vantage point during the war.
At the site we walk on a board walk around the old mounds and trenches and read the information boards about the mining activity of the soldiers as they burrow under enemy lines to lay explosives.
Caterpillar Crater near Hill 60
Caterpillar Crater
Next to Hill 60 is Caterpillar Crater all part of the same WW1 site. This crater is 79.2 m (diameter) and 15.5 m deep. Caterpillar crater is a result of two explosions under Hill 60.
Bayernwald Trenches
Bayernwald WW1 site requires a ticket to enter. There is a system for booking online however we only discover the need for a ticket on cycling there when we arrive at the high gates.
Bayernwald Trenches consists of four bunkers and two mine shafts with information panels.
Messines Ridge British Cemetery (Mesen)
Next we cycle on to Messines Ridge British Cemetery. Messines Ridge British Cemetery is the final resting place for 1,534 Commonwealth soldiers who fought and died during World War I. The cemetery contains graves of soldiers from various British regiments as well as troops from other Commonwealth nations.
Irish Peace Park
The Irish Peace Park, also known as the Island of Ireland Peace Park also in near Messines (Mesen). The park is dedicated to the memory of the soldiers of Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, who fought and died in World War I.
The round tower is similar to those found in Ireland. The Irish Peace Tower symbolises peace and reconciliation between all nations and those in Ireland.
We read the many inscribed tablets that line the pathway to the tower. These contain poems and words from Irish Soldiers from the war.
Christmas Truce Memorial
This beautiful statue in Mesin Town Centre is a symbol of the unique moment when ordinary men on both sides of the conflict ceasefire (Christmas 1914). Soldiers shake hands, sing, exchange food, play football. A extraordinary moment of humanity.
The town centre of Mesin is a lovely square with bandstand and picnic bench. We take the opportunity to get out our sandwiches and enjoy the ambiance of the sleepy town.
Mesin Town Centre (perfect for our lunch break)
Memorial Christmas Truce Peace Village Mesen (Silent Night Memorial)
This memorial is similar to the Christmas Truce Memorial and honours the unique moment in history when soldiers sang together and played football. The inscription on the memorial is the first few lines of Silent Night in German.
Pool of Peace
This tranquil body of water is a flooded mine crater, originally created by the detonation of a massive underground explosive during the Battle of Messines on June 1917.
Lettenburg Bunkers
It is excellent to find these concrete shelters still surviving over 100 years later. Originally built by British Engineers in 1917 and now home to long eared bats.
American Monument
Our last monument of the day, the American Monument is also known as the Kemmel American Monument. The memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the American troops who fought nearby in troops attached to the British Army (1918).