THE WESTHOEK AND THE GREAT WAR

Remember Belgium! Hundreds of thousands of British were urged with this argument to take part in World War 1. It became a war far from home, a war overseas, somewhere in France. That a part of the Western Front actually was a small piece of Belgium called the Westhoek was much less known.

The northern part of the Westhoek was a relatively quiet area in the Great War: in October 1914, the Belgian army stopped the German attacks by flooding the plain of the river Yser (Ijzer). The Belgian army occupied the whole region from Nieuwpoort through Diksmuide up to the canal to Ypres (Ieper). Major German attacks were impossible.

The Ypres Salient is located in the southern part. Wipers, as Ypres was called by the British soldiers, and the Salient around the old medieval city, was one of the most terrible theatres of war. In the area we'll find little villages like Boezinge, Passendale, Messines (Mesen), Pilkem …….. names that have gone around the world because of the horrifying battles that were fought there.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers lost their lives here; millions returned wounded. "Far, far from Wipers I long to be", they sang. In and around Wipers, around a half million soldiers perished, half of them from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

We can find their names in the dozens of military cemeteries and on Missing Memorials. "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses row on row that mark our place", wrote the Canadian army doctor John McCrae. The Flanders' poppy is worn up to this day on Remembrance Sunday over the entire world so that this terrible sacrifice might never be forgotten. In the Westhoek, too, the memory is still alive: every evening the Last Post is sounded under the Menin Gate in Ypres.

THE LAST POST

Every evening at 8pm, a deeply moving ceremony takes place under the vast arch of the Menin Gate: the traffic stops and buglers from the local fire brigade play "The Last Post". The ceremony was begun in 1928. The buglers have performed faithfully ever since, though they were banned from playing during the German Occupation of 1940-44. The Brookwood Barracks in England took over the ceremony during the war, and the tradition was immediately re-established on the first day after the Liberation in September 1944.

EXPERIENCE

the In Flanders Fields Museum

The In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres offers an interesting introduction to the events that took place from 1914-1918. The museum is located on the first floor of the reconstructed Cloth Hall on the Market Square. With modern means, young and old are led back to the experiences of the ordinary person in the Great War. You follow the experiences of the soldier, nurse, or resident of Westhoek, and you discover what happened to him or her. You see original films of the completely destroyed city and the battlefields around it; you listen to songs, read the poems, the stories, and the statements of four years of war. The Christmas Truces of 1914, the first gas attack, the experiences of the soldier in No-Man's-Land, the reception in the hundreds of military aid posts and hospitals, and the reconstructions are showed clearly and movingly.

But the museum informs as well as it moves. All the background information about the events is offered in easy-to-use computers with touch screens. In Flanders Fields is a modern museum, but it retains respect and feeling for what happened then. A special character card allows visitors to follow the fates of real people.

The In Flanders Fields Museum takes its name from a poem written in the spring of 1915 by John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer. He wrote the poem during a brief spell in the fighting, while he was posted in an advanced dressing station near Ypres. The concrete bunker next to the Essex Farm Cemetery has recently been restored.

In Flanders Field Museum Open daily April to September, 10 am to 6 pm.
October to March, 10 am to 5 pm, closed Monday.
Closed during the first three weeks after the Christmas holidays.

Entry: BEF 250 (adults), BEF 125 (children), BEF: 625 (families), BEF175 (adult groups) and BEF 125 (school groups).
Ticket sales stops one hour before closing time. Reservation necessary for groups.

Information: 00.32(0)57/22 85 89, E-mail:flandersfields@ieper.be

YPRES

symbol of human sacrifice

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 the control of the Allied Forces on 14 October 1914. Some five million British and Common wealth soldiers passed through Ypres on their way to the Salient. Reduced to rubble by constant bombardment, the town has come to symbolise the meaningless slaughter of the Great War. Now restored to its former grandeur, Ypres contains numerous poignant sites and monuments linked to the Great War.

The Menin Gate is the most famous Commonwealth war memorial in Flanders. The gate was designed in classical style by Sir Reginald Blomfield on the site of one of the old town gates. Opened in 1927, the gate bears the names of 54,896 soldiers of the Salient who were reported missing between the outbreak of the War in 1914 and 15 August 1917.

The Cloth Hall, built in the 13th century, was one of the finest Gothic buildings in Europe. Destroyed in the early months of the war, the building was faithfully rebuilt in its original style from 1933 to 1967.

Saint Georges Memorial Church was built in 1929 in memory of the soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient. Designed by Reginald Blomfield in the style of an English parish church, it contains many poignant memorials. The small school next to the church was called Eton College. It was intended for the education of the children of the many British employees of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

POPERINGE

Talbot House in Poperinge is one of the most evocative sights left from the Great War. It was here that Reverend Phillip "Tubby" Clayton opened a clubhouse for soldiers. Named in honour of Gilbert Talbot, who was killed at Hooge in 1915, it became known as Toc H after the army signal code used in the war. More than half a million soldiers visited the club, where they could play the piano and borrow books. The chapel has remained untouched since 1918, it is simply called "upstairs".

Daily open from 9 am to 12 am and 2 pm to 5 pm.
Tel 00.32(0)57/33.28
Fax 00.32(0)57/33.21.83

Poperinge itself is a peaceful Flemish town surrounded by hop fields. Soldiers were sent here on leave from the Salient. Dubbed "Pops" by the weary troops, the lively town provided a brief rest from the horrors of war. Back then, Poperinge was a great town: it was even called Little Paris. Edmund Blunden wrote in "Undertones of War", "Poperinge is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The other six, indeed, were temporarily disregarded." Small shops, restaurants, hotels, inns, coffeehouses, cinemas, theatres and dance halls were frequently visited by the troops.

In the inner court of the Town Hall, the execution pole is a reminder of the courts-martial of often very young soldiers who, sometimes suffering from shell shock, deserted the front lines. The "shot at dawns" spent their last night in the death cells, which have been open to the public since 1997. Seventeen of them are buried in the Poperinge New Military Cemetery which is located in the city centre.

Opening times of the Town Hall: daily from 9 am till 5.30 pm.

COMMONWEALTH

Cemeteries

The farmland around Ypres was the setting for some of the most horrifying battles in human history. More than 30 nationalities fought here during the Great War. Most of the traces of the war have vanished over the years, but visitors will still find countless cemeteries, museums and memorials.

The village of Passendale (known to the soldiers as Passiondale) gave its name to one of the most gruelling battles of the Great War. Many of those who died in 1917 fighting to capture the village are buried in the nearby Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world. The identical tombstones, hewed out of white Portland stone, the "Cross of Sacrifice", built above the captured German bunker on demand of HRM King George, and the "Stone of Remembrance" are very impressive. The wall at the back contains the names of 34,957 missing soldiers who fell after 15 August 1917.

The beautiful Lyssenthoek Cemetery is the largest of a great number of hospital cemeteries that emerged next to Casualty Clearing Stations east and west of Poperinge. Soldiers devised names for these CCSs that sounded amusingly Flemish but still had a grim meaning: Mendinghem, Dozinghem, and Bandaghem.

Apart from the impressive Tyne Cot and Lyssenthoek Cemeteries, there are also smaller, more intimate Commonwealth cemeteries that blend into the landscape. The Scots have their own cemetery (No Man's Cot, Pilkem Ridge) and the Irish. Near the Locre Hospice Cemetery (Loker) is located the grave of William Redmond. Redmond greatly inspired the Irish presence in the British army. He hoped to force the independence for Ireland in this way. After the bloody suppression of the Easter Rising (1916) in Dublin he was a disillusioned man. He was killed in action in the beginning of the mine battle on 7 June 1917.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was founded in 1917 and is responsible for the maintenance of graves and memorials in some 150 countries that commemorate around 1,700,000 members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two World Wars. Further information on this global task along with specific details concerning each of the casualties is obtainable by contacting one of the offices via the web site: www.cwgc.org.
The headquarters for Northern Europe is located in Ypres. Tel 0032(0)57/20 01 18

FRENCH AND BELGIAN CEMETERIES

On the Saint-Charles de Potyze Cemetery in Ypres more than 4,000 French soldiers rest. Six hundred unknown soldiers found their final resting place in a mass grave. A Breton Pieta of sculptor J Fréour with figures mourning for their beloved deceased is situated in the front. The French Memorial (Ossuaire Français) at the Kemmel Hill contains a mass grave of 5,294 French Soldiers; most of them fell in April 1918 during the battle of Kemmel Hill.

The most famous Belgian Cemetery is at Houthulst, which has the graves of 1,855 soldiers. There are also Belgian cemeteries at Adinkerke, Hoogstade, Keiem, Oeren, Ramskapelle, Steenkerke and Westvleteren.

THE BATTLES OF YPRES

After the German advance through Belgium and Northern France was halted in September 1914, the centre of gravity of the battle shifted to the Westhoek. The Belgian army stopped the German attacks by flooding the Yser plain (27-29 October 1914). To the south, the British and the French fought with might and main to stop the German attempt to break through the Allies' line at Ypres. This was the first Battle of Ypres, which raged from 22 October to 22 November 1914. After it, the armies dug in on the heights that make a half-circle around the city. The famous Ypres Salient was born.

In the spring of 1915, the Germans tried again to break through at Ypres: this resulted in the Second Battle of Ypres. On 22 April 1915, between Steenstraete and Langemark, they used gas for the first time. The Allies had to withdraw a few kilometres but nowhere could the Germans break through the line.

The Third Battle took place in the summer of 1917. This greatest British offensive was initially successful with the mine battle of the Messines Ridge (7 June 1917), but the battle for Passendale ended up on a catastrophe. A minor advance of 8 km was paid for with almost 400,000 British losses. The Hell of Passendale was morass of mud and pain.

In the spring of 1918, the land gains acquired had to be yielded immediately in the German spring offensive. During the battle around Kemmel Hill (25 April 1918) the Ypres line almost collapsed. But the German resources were exhausted and the Americans got involved in the battle. In the liberation offensive (28 September - 11 November 1918), the Germans had to give way to the Allies, who pushed beyond the Scheldt. On 11 November the armistice was signed in a train wagon near Compiègne.

THE GERMAN CEMETERIES

The German Military of Vladslo (Diksmuide) is more than worth a visit. Here the war volunteer Peter Kollwitz made the world-famous sculpture "The Mourning Parents". The pent-up distress of the father and the grief-stricken mother express universal parental sorrow. The tombstone lying before the sculpture bears the inscription "Peter Kollwitz Musketier … 23.10.14"

The German Cemetery of Langemark makes a depressing impression in comparison with the British cemeteries. Behind the monumental gate of rosy sandstone we find the graves of 44,061 soldiers. Three thousand of them were cadets and student volunteers of the 22nd to the 27th Reserve Corps. They fell in October 1914 during vain attempts to come closer to Ypres. The four figures of the Munich sculpture Emil Krieger add a special touch to this impressive cemetery.

The Käthe Kollwitz Tower In the drying kiln of the old brewery Christiaen in the village of Koekelare, graphic works of art by Käthe Kollwitz are permanently present in the Käthe Kollwitz Tower. This exceptional woman can be rated among the most important artists of Germany. Her best-known work is to be seen at the German Cemetery of Vladslo.

Open Tuesday to Friday . In July-August also on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Information: 00 32(0)51/50 02 86

OTHER MUSEUMS

The search for peace is the central theme of the Yser Tower in Diksmuide. The new museum also portrays the significance that the First World War had for Flanders.

The Regional Museum of Zonnebeke and the History Museum of Messines deal with the history of those two places and with the role they played in the Great War. The Sanctuary Wood Museum at Zillebeke has other war relics, while the scarred landscape of Hill 60, where massive mines were detonated in 1915 and 1917, has been left untouched since the war. The Hooge Crater Museum holds a collection of weapons and objects that were used during the war.

Yser Tower

Open from March to 11 November from 10 am to 5 pm. Prices: adults 200 BEF.
Children 100 BEF. Groups: 150 BEF. Families 450 BEF.
Tel: 00 32(0)51/50 02 86
Fax: 00.32(0)51/50 22 58

Regional Museum of Zonnebeke

Open from 1 April to 15 November, 2 pm to 6 pm on Wednesdays and weekends.
In summer daily except Mondays.
Tel: 00 32(0)51/77 04 41

History Museum of Messines

Open daily from 9 am to 12 am and from 1 pm to 5 pm. Closed on Saturdays
Markt 1, Mesen
Tel: 00 32(0)57/44 50 40
e-mail: Mesen@pophost.cevi.be

Hill 60 Queen Victoria Rifles Museum
Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm
Tel: Tel 00 32(0)57/20 62 76

Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood Museum
Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm
Tel: 00 32(0)57/46 63 73

Hodge Crater Museum
Open 1 February to 15 December from 10 am to 7 pm
Tel: 00 32(0)57/46 84 46
Closed on Mondays

MONUMENTS

Honour to the Dead

The Canadian Forces Memorial in Sint-Juliaan was erected in remembrance of the 3,000 dead of the first Canadian Division who were killed during the counter-attack after the German gas attack of 22 April 1915. The monument by F C Clemeshaw dates from 1921 is also known as 'the brooding soldier' and is one of the most impressive of the Salient.

Another impressive Canadian monument is situated on Hill 62. At the end of the famous Maple Avenue we climb the stairway to the top of the hill where we find the Canadian Memorial, surrounded by ornamental shrubs and rose bushes. Around that hill a bitter battle was fought in June 1916. Now we enjoy a magnificent view of Ypres.

The Island of Ireland Peace Park was built in memory of all the Irish soldiers who fought and died in the Great War. During the mine battle of the Messines Ridge of 7 June 1917 both Irish divisions (16th and 36th) fought side by side in gaining the ridge. In Messines there is also the Peace Carillon in the Saint Nicolas' Church and the New Zealand Memorial Park.

The Pool of Peace (or Lone Tree Crater) in Wijtschate is a peaceful and quiet memento of the mine battle on the Messines Ridge of 7 June 1917. The explosions formed enormous craters in the landscape. The largest and most impressive crater is the Pool of Peace. It is 12 metres deep and has 129 meters in diameter. Talbot House of Poperinge is preserving this war site for future generations.

There are smaller mementoes as well, such as the poems by Edmund Blunden engraved on tablets all over the countryside and monuments for the Indian soldiers and for poets like Francis Ledwidge and Hedd Wynn.

On the top of the Kemmel Hill the Monument to the French soldiers (Monument aux soldats Français) sadly looks over the mass grave (Ossuaire Français) and the battlefield.

The most impressive French Monument is the Memorial of the French fighter pilot George Guynemer, one of the pioneers of war aviation, which was fully developed during the Great War. In 1916 and 1917 the airspace above Poelkapelle was the stage for heroic air raids. George Guynemer was killed on 11 September 1917. The monument was dedicated in 1923. It is crowned with a graceful stork, a reference to Guynemer's 'Escadrille des Cigognes'.

MONUMENTS IN THE YSER REGION

In Diksmuide, the Yser Tower and the Paxpoort commemorate the Flemish emancipation struggle and the no more war principle. The first tower was dedicated during the Yser Pilgrimage of 1930 as a memorial to the many Flemish soldiers who gave their lives in this region.

The annual pilgrimages became the symbol for the Flemish emancipation struggle. In 1965, the new Yser Tower was dedicated: the impressive monument has housed since 1998 a new museum that is dedicated to the Yser Front, peace, and the Flemish struggle. Further along the Yser, we find the Trench of Death, which gives a good picture of life in the trenches. Open daily from 1 April to 30 September from 10 am to 12 am and from 1 pm to 5.30 pm. From 1 October to 15 November only on weekdays as well as on 1 and 11 November.

Between Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, we find the Notre Dame of Victory Chapel. During the war the church tower was an important Belgian outpost. The memorial chapel, the remainders of the bombarded church tower with the orientation table, the memorial stones for the Belgian army units, and the demarcation post are worth a visit.

In Nieuwpoort we have a nice view of the famous Goosefoot (Ganzenpoot), where the Yser, two shipping canals and three drainage canals flow together. From her, the front region was flooded. Next to the Goosefoot is the King Albert 1 Monument, which was dedicated in 1938 on the initiative of the association of war veterans.

Raversijde: The lively port and seaside resort of Ostend remained in German hands throughout the Great War. The Vindictive Monument commemorates a daring British naval attack that blocked the port in 1918. The Atlantic Wall Museum at Raversijde outside Ostend has some impressive German bunkers and coastal defences from the First and Second World War.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS ROUTE AND YSER FRONT ROUTE

The In Flanders Fields Route (82 km), which begins and ends in Ypres, is an ideal way to reconnoitre the Salient for the first time. You will become acquainted with the most important cemeteries and monuments in the southern Westhoek. Essex Farm in Boezinge, the German military cemetery of Langemark, the Guynemer Memorial in Poelkapelle, the Canadian Memorial in Sint-Juliaan, Tyne Cot, Hill 62, Messines, Kemmel Hill. At the end of the route, there is also Poperinge. The route offers you a good introduction to the nature and landscape of the region: Heuvelland, in particular, will charm you with its beautiful vistas.

The Yser Front Route (79 km) leads you through the polder landscape between Nieuwpoort, Koekelare, Kortemark, Houthulst and Diksmuide. The route starts in Diksmuide, famous for the Yser Tower and The Trench of Death. Via Stuivekenskerke and Ramskapelle, we first drive to the King Albert 1 Monument in Nieuwpoort. Other highlights along the route are the Belgian military cemeteries of Keiem and Houthulst, the Käthe Kollwitz Tower in Koekelare and the German military cemetery of Vladslo.

The brochures of the In Flanders Fields route and the Yser Front route are available in the tourist Information Centres.

THE FLANDERS FIELD AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL WAREGEM

At the end of the war, American troops played an important role in the final offensive. The 91st and 37th United States Division were deployed in the reconquest of the region between the Scheldt and the Lys in October and the beginning of November 1918. The Flanders Field American Cemetery is located in the city of Waregem, some 40 km from Ypres. It is the smallest American cemetery on the European continent and is also the only American cemetery in Belgium from the First World War. On 30 May 1927, only 9 days after his transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh in the Spirit of Saint Louis flew over the cemetery and strewed poppies on it in honour of his dead countrymen.

The Pop route features two circuits that enable you to discover the good and bad fortune of everyday life behind the front-line. Information panels in Dutch and English in 21 different locations provide you with additional details. A map and walkman with cassette are also available.

Information: Poperinge Tourist Information Centre: 0032(0)57/34 66 76

TRAVEL

through the rich history of the Westhoek

In the Middle Ages cities like Diksmuide, Poperinge, Veurne and of course Ypres became world famous because of the cloth trade. Commercial relations flourished particularly with England. English refugees like Thomas Beckett sought safety in our regions. From this period date many churches as well as the imposing Cloth Hall of Ypres. The Roman crypt of the Saint Nicholas Church in Messines dates from the eleventh century.

During the Hundred-year War, Flanders was squeezed between England and France. In 1383 Ypres withstood a long siege by English troops under the leadership of the Bishop of Norwich. In these circumstances Nieuwpoort, Lo, Veurne and Ypres received their first stone walls. In Lo, the West Gate has been preserved, while in Ypres a few Burgundian towers have been integrated in the later Vauban fortifications.

The sixteenth century was enormously turbulent because of the religious wars. Protestant refugees crossed the Channel to Sandwich. After the complete recovery of the Spanish regime after the Battle of Nieuwpoort (1600), a period of prosperity commenced. The brilliant town centre of Veurne with the City Hall, the formal Court of Justice, the Belfry and the Spanish Pavilion witnesses to this period. During the second half of the 17th century the Westhoek fell largely into French hands. Louise XIV gave Vauban the task of providing cities like Ypres, Veurne, and Wervik with complex city fortifications. These fortifications are best preserved in Ypres, and you can explore them on the fortification route (Vestingroute).

The First World War almost complete destroyed this previously so prosperous region. Only Veurne, where the Belgian army had its headquarters, escaped the violence of the war. The other cities were reconstructed with respect for the tradition.

The last rendez-vous with history took place in May of 1940 when tens of thousands of English soldiers were heroically taken off the beaches of De Panne and Dunkirk. This event is commemorated annually by the famous Dunkirk Veterans.

RELAX

in the beautiful landscape of the Westhoek

The Westhoek is a beautiful region with a rich diversity of landscapes and nature areas that are admirably suited for walking, cycling and automobile touring.

On the Flemish coast near to the French border, we have wide beaches and unique dune areas. Between Veurne and Diksmuide, we find a fascinating polder landscape with endless vistas and quiet villages like Beauvoorde, Houtem, Zoutenaaie, Leisele, Oeren, Stuivekenskerke, and Pollinkhove. From Nieuwpoort, we can follow the Ypres plain, which was inundated during the First World War. Near Diksmuide, we enter the unique nature area of the Blankaart. The Yser brings us further to Alveringem, Vieteren, and Lo-Reninge. Here, the Westhoek is at its best: vast plains, greenery, and water will enable you to relax. Ancient forms, sumptuous little churches and high-standing mills all tell the story of the region's rich and varied past.

In the south of the Westhoek, we meet the West Flanders hills, which run through to Cassel in France. On the top of the Kemmel Hill, which played an important role during the German Spring Offensive of 1918, and on the Rodeberg, we have valuable nature reserves. In moist copses with springs and intimate valleys, you will encounter typical spring-time plants. Hedgerows, pools, rows of pollard willow, spring-fed streams, and scattered woodlands give this dynamic landscape form and content. The Heuvelland hides the dramatic episodes from Flemish history between its folds. Celtic forts, Roman roads, abbeys, traces of the Protestant rebellion and the scars from the First World War.

All these beautiful things you can discover over three automobile routes, eleven bicycle routes, and a dozen hiking routes of the province of West Flanders. There are also a few bridle paths and, finally, you can explore the Westhoek in an excellent way with a pleasure boat along the Yser and various canals, which are no longer used for commercial traffic.

All the information you need you can obtain from the Tourist Information Centres.

ENJOY

a rich diversity of large and small attractions, art and events

Bellewaerde Park near Ypres is a nature-rich amusement park for the whole family. The Screaming Eagle and the Magic House of Houdini are top on the European level. Whoever wants an English cream tea can go to the Little Dolls and Tea House of Mia Blom in Pervijze, near Diksmuide. The Iris Astrolab in Zillebeke focuses all attention on the cosmos, while the Cordoba cableway can take you swaying between Rodeberg and Zwarteberg. Or what do you think of a visit to the ostrich hatchery in Lo-Reninge or a customs inn at Abele. There are typical, authentic inns in abundance, which serve a unique range of tasty regional beers. The Westhoek is also known for its many local products like paté and meat terrines, biscuits, pancakes and pies, and butter and cheese.

The local colour we also find in the many local museums, which cast a nostalgic look at the rural life and also illuminate unique pieces of social history. There is the Bachten De Kupe Open Air Museum in Izenberge (Alveringem), the Bakery Museum in Veurne, the Hop Museum in Poperinge, the Fishing Museum in Oostduinkerke, the Tobacco Museum in Wervik, the Frenchman Museum in Koekelare, the brewery of De Dolle Brouwers in Esen, and the De Snoek Malt and Brewing House in Fortem (Alveringem).

Art galleries spring up like mushrooms from the ground throughout the Westhoek. You will find a whole series of them in Beauvoorde, which is also famous for its water castle, and in Watou where the plastic arts and poetry are combined in an astonishing ensemble during the poetry summers. With the Paul Delvaux Museum in Sint-Idesbald and the George Grard Foundation in Gijverinkhove, the Westhoek also has two museums that offer a complete overview of the work of one artist.

Finally, the Westhoek also offers the visitor a wide range of parades, markets, feasts, commemorations, walking tours, historic evocations, concerts and festivals. The folk Festival of Dranouter, which attracts 65,000 visitors annually, is the banner bearer of all these events.

All the information you need you can obtain from the Tourist Information Centres.

EXPLORE

the Belgium Coast When you stay in the Westhoek, an outing to the sea is simple. The seaside resorts, De Panne, Sint- Idesbald, Koksijde, Oostduinkerke, Nieuwpoort, Westende, and Middelkerke are right at hand. The wide beaches formed the backdrop for the heroic disembarkation in may 1940. Together with the extensive dunes, their child-friendliness, and their hospitality, these resorts will certainly tempt you. Ostend, City on the Sea, and the historic city of Bruges are an ideal day trip from the Westhoek.