Flanders World War I Battlefields Private Tour from Brussels
Description
Visit the impressive monuments that commemorate the lives of fallen soldiers and admire the natural splendor of the Belgian countryside as you travel. Listen to fascinating commentary from an expert guide as you see graves that immortalize those killed in the world’s first major conflict, Enrich your historical knowledge at the Flanders’ Field Museum then feel your soul stir during a poignant Last Post ceremony in Ypres Discover the poignant history of World War I on a moving full-day tour to the Flanders battlefields from Brussels.
Tour Options
Itinerary
With your guide, discover these sites including St Julien Memorial, a Canadian memorial sometimes referred to as the 'Brooding Soldier,' and Polygon Wood, the 5th Australian Division Memorial.
Relax on a scenic drive through Brussels to Ypres, where you’ll visit the famous battlefield of the Ypres Salient, an area that saw many of the biggest battles during World War 1. Thousands of soldiers from the Commonwealth countries, as well as Germany, France and Belgium, defended the land around the Ypres Salient from the German Army. This battlefield saw numerous deaths during the war, and is now the site of several cemeteries and memorials honoring those who lost their lives there.
In a country where war was fought, it lingers, even if that war is already a century behind us. For each of the more than 600,000 dead who fell here, for each of the more than 425,000 graves and names on memorials and for the hundreds of traces and relics in the front region, for each of the millions affected (physically or psychologically wounded, refugees and displaced persons) there is a story of suffering, pain and ordeal somewhere in the world. The City of Peace Ypres and the In Flanders Fields Museum conserve the link with the war past. Because it is important for those who want to speak about peace and war today.
Next, discover the Essex Farm Cemetery and bunkers, an area used as a dressing station during WWI and often associated with John McCrae, a Canadian soldier who was stationed here. Learn how he wrote ‘In Flanders Fields,’ the famous poem that resulted in poppies becoming one of the world's most recognized memorial symbols for fallen soldiers.
With your guide, walk up to Hill 60, a famous battlefield on raised land that saw heavy fighting during the war. Unlike other battlefields in the Belgium Flanders region, Hill 60 saw a lot of fighting underground in tunnels created by mines.
Visit the Tyne Cot Cemetery, where many soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient are buried. See the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, the stone wall that surrounds the cemetery containing the names of missing soldiers from the UK and New Zealand.
On your tour, you’ll also have free time to explore the town of Ypres at your leisure and have lunch (own expense).
See the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, which has the names of thousands of missing Commonwealth soldiers inscribed on it, before enjoying a comfortable ride back to Brussels
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
at your accomodation in Brussels
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(5)
Erik was our tour guide and was fantastic. I'm sorry I didn't catch the driver's name, but he was related to the company owner and was the best driver of any kind we have had in a long time. Erik was very polite, prompt and kept a good schedule. His perspective as a local to the area gave us new insight into the region and the time period, beyond what you get in the usual articles and documemtaries. Erik was knowlegable and converstional. He gave background on the area history and culture beyond just the World War 1 topic we started with. If you need a tour guide for anywhere in Flanders (the top half of Belgium for Americans), Erik is your guy. As for the car, it was spotless, comfortable and roomy. The driving was 100% error free with a smooth ride through beautiful, pastoral countryside on a gorgeous day. They get all the stars.
Marikea gave us a great tour that captured both the history and the tragedy of Flanders Field. She included stops at both the modern museum at Ypers and the rustic museum at hill 62, then a walk through the craters at hiill 60. Brief stops at several cemeteries dedicated to boys fim the many national regiments gave a feel for the world's commitment to wiping out facisim in the early 20th century. As a volunteer at the US National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City I sincerely appreciate her giving us time to take photos I can share. A day both filled with history and the grief of the families world-wide who lost boys in a valiant battle against evil.
Tour guide was very knowledgeable. We never had a map or itinerary so we were kind of in the dark as to what we were doing. The guide skipped the museum entry, which was included in the price. Lunch wasn’t until 2:15. All in all, we enjoyed it and learned a lot, but it was very expensive compared to some other day trips we did.
The tour guide, Henry, was knowledgeable and articulate. The driver, Adel, was competent and went the extra mile in delivering us to a return destination we had not planned. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.
Thanks to our driver Belik and the very knowledgable Johan the guide. Amazing day,Johan knows everthing about the Great War and much more
