ZEEBRUGGE, BELGIUM

Ypres was one of the great Flemish cloth towns of the Middle Ages. Occupied by the German army for one night at the beginning of the Great War, it fell under control of the Allied Forces on 14th October 1914. Some five million British and Commonwealth soldiers passed through Ypres on their way to the front line. Reduced to rubble by constant bombardment, the town has come to symbolise the meaningless slaughter during the Great War. Now restored to its former grandeur, Ypres contains numerous poignant sites and monuments linked to the war.

Ypres was one of the great Flemish cloth towns of the Middle Ages. Occupied by the German army for one night at the beginning of the Great War, it fell under control of the Allied Forces on 14th October 1914. Some five million British and Commonwealth soldiers passed through Ypres on their way to the front line. Reduced to rubble by constant bombardment, the town has come to symbolise the meaningless slaughter during the Great War. Now restored to its former grandeur, Ypres contains numerous poignant sites and monuments linked to the war. Our coach will take us first to Tyne Cot Cemetery, approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from Zeebrugge, for a visit to the largest commonwealth cemetery in the world. The battlefields around Ypres are amongst the most renowned in the world. For four years German and allied armies fought here without obtaining a decisive victory. New weapons like gas, land mines and missiles made it even more atrocious. This resulted in 1,200,000 men being injured and 500,000 fatalities. When driving towards Ypres we will have a photo stop at the “Menin Gate”. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, names of 54,896 missing soldiers are engraved in its walls. We shall then make a short stop at St George Memorial church. This church would serve the British colony that had remained in Belgium after the war and the many pilgrims that would certainly return to Flanders. It stands as a memorial to the soldiers who died in Flemish soil in the Great War. We then visit the “In Flanders Fields” Museum. This is not a traditional war museum. It is about ordinary people who endured the war – the soldiers, nurses, fugitives, children…their experiences are all recorded. The generation that survived the Great War is slowly dying out, along with their stories about the war. “In Flanders Fields” wants to keep these stories alive for all people today as an indictment of war and a cry for peace. Advanced techniques are used, including computers, video projections and interactive models. The multimedia brings history to life. Therefore this visit will be done independently, with our guide helping to explain how this museum “works”. After this memorable visit we shall make our return journey to our awaiting ship.

There is a moderate amount of walking on this tour, over mainly flat ground. A few steps will be encountered and there is a lift in the museum (although we can not guarantee this will be working). This tour is guided throughout and is suitable for passengers in wheelchairs. There is a charge to use toilet facilities at the Cemetery – in 2007 this was 50 cents (Euro), there are free facilities at the Museum. Please note that the sights may be visited in a different order to that described. A bottle of mineral water will be supplied.

TOUR DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR THE 2008 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC SEASON