The Ypres Salient Battlefields, Belgium
Battles of the Ypres Salient
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Within the first few months of the outbreak of the Great War the Ypres Salient witnessed the first of several major battles to occur there before the war ended on 11 November 1918. The major battles comprised:
- First Battle of Ypres, (19 October - 22 November 1914)
- Second Battle of Ypres (Battle Study), (22 April - 25 May 1915)
- Battle of Messines, (7 - 14 June 1917)
- Third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Passchendaele), (31 July - 10 November 1917)
- Fourth Battle of Ypres - Battle of the Lys, (9 April - 29 April 1918)
- Battle of Ypres, (28 September - 2 October 1918)
Battle Remains
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There are numerous sites to visit in the Ypres Salient where remains of the fighting can be seen. These include trenches, mine craters and concrete bunkers.
Battle Remains in the Ypres Salient
Monuments & Memorials
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In addition to the military cemeteries, there are a number of large memorials to commemorate the names of “The Missing”, those servicemen whose bodies were never found or could not be identified. These memorials commemorate those who have no known grave in the Ypres Salient. There are also many memorials to individuals, military units and civilians.
Cemeteries
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The scale of military casualties from the German, French and British Armies during the battles of the Ypres Salient amounted to several hundred thousand dead. Their graves are marked by over 100 military burial grounds on the old Ypres Salient 1914-1918 battlefields.
Museums
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There are numerous public and private museums. These museums contain resources ranging from rare battlefield artefacts and archive collections to original trench systems. Education Services are also available for school and student groups at the larger museums.
Events
During the year there are commemorative ceremonies and events taking place in the area of the Ypres Salient battlefields.
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Daily Last Post Ceremony
Sounding of Last Post is a daily Act of Remembrance that takes place every evening at 20.00 hours at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres/Ieper.
Daily Last Post Ceremony, Menin Gate Memorial
For a listing of events in the area see our page:
Events on the Ypres Salient Battlefields
Accommodation
There is a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets for visitors to the area of the 1914-1918 Ypres Salient battlefields. As a guide this website provides listings of hotels, guesthouses, Bed & Breakfast, self-catering, hostels and campsites.
Accommodation in the Ypres Salient
Cafés & Restaurants
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The area offers a wide range of options for eating at restaurants, bistros, cafés and tea rooms for the individual traveller and tour groups.
Tourist Information
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Information and links for online tourist information or tourist offices for Flanders and West-Flanders (West-Vlaanderen).
Towns & Villages
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Ypres - Ieper
The medieval town of Ypres (nowadays called by its Flemish name Ieper) was located at the centre of the 1914-1918 battlefields of the Ypres Salient. Ypres was razed to the ground during four years of fighting. Read an overview of the history of the town, how it was affected by the war and some of the notable sights to be seen.
To see the locations and overview information for the towns in the region of the Ypres Salient battlefields see our page:
Towns & Villages of the Ypres Salient Battlefields
Acknowledgements
(1) Photograph courtesy of Stad Ieper, copyright Tijl Capoen.
