Hotel check in was supposed to be later in the afternoon but due to the late arrival, many of the rooms were ready to be occupied around 1pm. This gave most people time to freshen up and then set out on foot to explore this Flemish town.
It's origins date back to the early Middle Ages and by the thirteenth century it had become an important centre for cloth trade. The importance of this trade was showcased through the Cloth Hall which the Drapers Guild built between 1260 and 1304. The ever increasing need for wool led to a close trade relationship between the region and Great Britain even when the wool trade declined.
Over the course of the First World War the area surrounding Ypres became the site of numerous battles during which over half a million soldiers lost their lives. The Second Battle of Ypres (22 April - 25 May 1915) can be considered a turning point in the history of warfare as it marked the beginning of chemical weapons usage. On April 22 German troops launched their first offensive of the year but when the initial shelling stopped, Allied troops waiting for the first wave of German attackers where instead met with swathes of chlorine gas.
At the end of the First World War the town of Ypres lay almost wholly in ruins. Many of its famous buildings, such as the Lakenhalle (Cloth Hall), the town hall and St. Martin Cathedral were rebuilt after their original plans and today once again speak to the town's prewar architectural glory. The Cloth Hall today houses the Flanders Fields Museum, initially called the Ypres Salient Memorial Museum, but after renovations it was renamed in 2012 after John McCrae's famous poem.
A large number of the tour participants decided to visit this museum. When you purchase your ticket (8.00 euros) you receive a bracelet with a contact. At your first stop you personalize the bracelet by telling the system where you are from. Some of the stories you will read about via the bracelet contact are selected based on your entry. One word of caution though, the museum is set up in four languages; Flemish, English, French and German. If you try to use your second or third language when buying the ticket, your bracelet will be auto programmed to that language.
In 1927 another landmark was unveiled. The Menenpoort (Menin Gate), situated on the eastern edge of town, had long been the gateway to the town of Menin situated about 16 kms from Ypres. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, the gate today stands as a memorial to 54 389 soldiers who have no known grave and whose names are engraved on stone panels located in the Hall of Memory.
The main dedication panel reads:
TO THE ARMIES
OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
WHO STOOD HERE
FROM 1914 TO 1918
AND TO THOSE OF THEIR DEAD
WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE
The Menin Gate is also the location of a Last Post Ceremony conducted every evening at 8pm. The tour group participated in this rather moving event which was particularly meaningful to two
tour participants who have relatives memorialized on the Gate and who had been asked to lay a wreath on behalf of the Juno Beach Centre Association Summer Institute.
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