A1256655276yAldM

1
What does Ypres have to offer
a student of the first world war?
2
Where is Ypres?
Ypres is a small Flemish market town, in Belgium.
The town of Ypres was the scene of some of the
worst fighting of the war. The consequences were
drastic with 500,000 dead in an area of 25 square
kilometres. After the war Ypres became one of the
most important European memorials.It is home to
many places like the Menin gate and Tyne Cot.
3
Ypres before the war
Early in the 12th century, Ypres became one of
the most  important cities of the county of
Flanders. The city was already a good cloth
manufacturer and had a reputation for cloth
trading. In that same century the cloth exchange
was created as well as the first cloth hall, the
belfry and the cathedral. The 13th century and
the beginning of the 14th century saw the city at
the height of its political and economic power.
Cloth from Ypres was exported everywhere in the
then known world. Because the local wool
production did not meet the demands of the
market, Ypres turned to England as its prime wool
supplier.. After Ghent and Bruges, Ypres had
become the third most important city in the
county, with about 40.000 inhabitants. 
The Cloth Hall
4
Ypres and the First World War
British troops entered Ypres in October 1914.
They were unaware of the size of the German force
advancing on the town. The soldiers though were
merely students singing their school songs whilst
walking into battle so were not very effective.
Germany began World War I with the Schlieffen
Plan, but it went wrong, powering the German
determination to capture Boulogne and Calais. It
was vital to the Allies to prevent this from
happening. Due to this Ypres was a scene of
fighting for four years. The British front line
at Ypres went into German held territory. A big
bulge in a line of trenches is known as a
salient. Men defending this would be open to
attack on three sides at once. That is why Ypres
Salient was hated by the British who defended it.
The War ended at the battle of the Lys River
in November 1918 where the German troops were
defeat. Click here for info on
the first battle click here for
info on the second battle Click
here for info on the third battle
5
Sites to visit in Ypres Salient
Sanctuary wood is a hands on museum with a fun
and exciting re-inaction of the WWI trenches.
Inside there is a bar for refreshments. Lastly
there are about 12 picture boxes with some
horrifying snap shots. For more Information click
here
Tyne Cot is the English Cemetery for the men who
died in just that area. At the back of the
cemetery there is a long wall that holds some of
the names of the men who were not found. It is a
pretty and calm place and a must see. To find out
more click here
The Menin gate is home to 54,900 names of the
missing men who fought in the area around the
Menin gate. At 8.00 the Last Post ceremony takes
place 1 man each night. To find out more click
here
6
Sites to visit cont.
Langemarck is the German cemetery. It is a
peaceful place but has a totally different
atmosphere to Tyne Cot because it is a darker
place. This site is moving not just because of
the deaths but because there is more than one
person per grave because the Belgians wouldnt
give their land up for the dead who had fought
bravely for their country. Click here to find out
more.
For info on more places to visit click here go to
the bottom of this internet site to find links to
other places to visit
7
How to get there
Midas Tours-Battlefield Tours TOUR
NAME Discovering the Western Front DATES 2 - 5
April 20044 - 7 June 20046 - 9 August 20041 -
4 October 2004TOUR REF 24085a TOUR GUIDE Robin
Scott or Brendan McDonagh BASICPRICE 499 SINGLE-
SUPPLEMENT 75 INSURANCE-PREMIUM 22.50 DEPOSIT
(incl. Ins.) 97.50 Half Board To Find out more
click here
APRIL 2005 Fri 22 Mon 25 Ypres Somme
Click here to find out more.
OCTOBER 2005 Fri 7 Mon 10 Ypres The Somme
Galloway have brochures for people to look in and
choose a holiday or day exursions. It is not
available on the internet. To find out more click
here
Click here to find out more
8
Where to Stay
For more info click here
Hotel Gasthof 'T Zweerd - 3 starIdeally placed
for visiting the centre of Ypres and its historic
sites. A comfortable 3 star with a lift to all
the 17 well-appointed guest rooms, all en suite
with TV and telephone. Along the front of the
hotel is an attractive terraced bar/restaurant.
Hotel Ariane Ieper- 4 starHotel Ariane is
quietly located close to both the Menin Gate and
the Market Square. With 36 tastefully decorated
ensuite bedrooms with bathroom, colour
television, radio, telephone mini bar and hair
dryer. The hotel has its own car park