Zonnebeke Things to Do

1 more image

The battlefields of Flanders, in the 1914-1918 World War created, in just this one place (and there are many more cemeteries in Flanders):

35000 names of missing men on the Memorial Wall.

Nearly 12000 headstones of Allied soldiers. Most of them are of unidentified men.........'known unto God', as their headstones say.

White Portland stone was imported to create the cemetery, which began as a small battlefield burial ground and then, after the war had ended, became a 'concentration cemetery' as battlefield burials elsewhere were gathered up and re-interred.

The grass is closely mown, the headstones pristine, plants and flowers grow around the graves. Poppies are left by visitors, wreaths placed by schoolchildren...........the men are not forgotten.

A most moving place, made even more so by its new Visitors'Centre, where you can see personal artefacts of named soldiers (donated by their families), and learn who just a very few of them were.

Haunting.

1 more image

Well worth visiting, even if you are not specifically on a battlefield tour/exploration.

The museum is housed in a mansion (1920s), with a rather lovely water-lilied lake. Inside you'll find displays and artefacts from the First World War battlefields in the area, and a good re-creation of a British dugout.

It will, I guarantee, make you think and open your eyes a little to what life was once like for millions of men.

4 more images

Visit the Memorial Museum

Another "experience" interesting is the visit of the journey was moving trenches in the museum cellars.

One meet again in the middle of restored scenes: commandantuur, infirmary, transmissions, dormitories...

A small idea of what was the life to the forehead without the noises, humidity, the pong...

---oooOOOooo---

Une autre "expérience" intéressante est la visite du parcours de tranchées emménagé dans les caves du musée.

On se retrouve au milieu de scènes reconstituées: commandantuur, infirmerie, transmissions, dortoirs...

Une petite idée de ce que fut la vie au front sans les bruits, l'humidité, la puanteur...

Visit the Memorial Museum

A room is devoted to the known used gasses in the region for the first time.

A device is installed so that the visitor can smell the odours of 4 different gasses of which it famous Ypérite.

Of course they are here inoffensive but I must say that I was sharply emotional and uncomfortable of the experience and especially of what it represents.

---oooOOOooo---

Une salle est consacrée aux fameux gaz utilisés dans la région pour la première fois.

Un dispositif est installé afin que le visiteur puisse humer les odeurs de 4 gaz différents dont le célèbre Ypérite.

Bien sûr ils sont ici inoffensifs mais je dois dire que j'étais vivement émotionné et mal à l'aise de l'expérience et surtout de ce qu'elle représente .

Visit the Memorial Museum

Besides many photos, one finds here a lot of windows and explanatory panels.

Often grouped together by theme, the visitor will be able to see and discover among others of the elements of uniforms of the different bodies of weapons in presence.

---oooOOOooo---

Outre de nombreuses photos, on trouve ici plein de vitrines et panneaux explicatifs.

Souvent regroupés par thème, le visiteur pourra voir et découvrir entre autres des éléments d'uniformes des différents corps d'armés en présence.

1 more image

Visit the Memorial Museum

The museum gives a life impression to the forehead during the countries of Ypres (there been some three) between 1914 and 1918.

Many photos allow you to see places of the regions. Can will have you the time to return you in these places (as for example Dixmude/Dixmuide) in order to realize you the reconstruction (often in origin style)

Open from February the first till November 30th (entrance individual 5 €)

---oooOOOooo---

Le musée donne une impression de la vie au front durant les campagnes d'Ypres (il y en eu trois) entre 1914 et 1918.

De nombreuses photos vous permettent de voir des endroits de la régions. Peut aurez vous le temps de vous rendre dans ces endroits (comme par exemple Dixmude/Dixmuide) afin de vous rendre compte de la reconstruction (souvent en style d'origine)

---oooOOOooo---

Zonnebeke also has it's own museum. one that explanes about the history of this village and it's surroundings. Special attention in this museum, that is also partly outside in wonderful old houses, to the two abbeys that dominated this vicinity in medieval times. They were founded around 1100 and raided by the independance fighters in 1580 (80-years war against Spanish Habsburgians). Zonnebeke had a rich history but a lot has been lost in the first world war. Nothing was standing up in this area after the fighting stopped.

In the centre of Zonnebeke one can also visit something non world war relative things. The attraction even before the war has always been the gardens of the castle Zonnebeke. This castle, situated near the springs of a small river (the Sun creek or in Dutch Zonne beek), is open for public and the castle has been rebuilt in Normandian style. It is especially worth a visit to get you out of the wars and cemetries.