For many centuries, the frontier zone covered by the Eurometropolis area has been a battlefield of Europe due to its geographical location at the crossroads of nations' destiny. The area has preserved numerous scars as well as an exceptional historical and commemorative heritage. The frontline of the First World War crossed Flanders and the Picardie region. The In Flanders Fields museum in Ypres retraces the history of daily life in the trenches. On the other side of the square, you can read on the walls of the Menenpoort, a memorial gate resembling a Roman triumph, the names of 54.896 soldiers of the British Empire who disappeared during this war. Since 1928, the "Last Post" can be heard every night at 8 o'clock p.m., echoing under the impressive vaults. In the Region of the Lys, the Flanders Field American cemetery in Waregem and the German military cemetery of Menen are both very important places of remembrance. The fortresses of Bondues and of Seclin, the museum of the resistance in Villeneuve-d'Ascq and the birth house of Charles de Gaulle in Lille also testify of the people's resistance during the Second World War.
Bayernwald (Bayern Wood)
This unique German site is located between the villages of Wijtschate and Voormezele. The site consists of two mine galleries, a mine shaft, a trench system and five bunkers. It is accessed via a footpath which passes through the restored network of trenches. A series of information panels give details of the events which took place here and explain what life at the front was really like.
German Military Cemetery Menen
The German military cemetery at Menen is the largest German war cemetery in Western Europe, commemorating no fewer than 47 900 fallen soldiers. During WWI Menen was occupied by German troops, where several German hospitals and cemeteries were constructed. This cemetery was located close to a wood, hence the name 'Meenen Wald'. Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Belgian Military Cemetery Vleteren
French soldiers started this cemetery in the autumn of 1914. Only by June 1916, the Belgians took it over. After the war, the site was enlarged and the French soldiers were relocated. This cemetery became one of the nine Belgian military cemeteries in West-Flanders. A total of 1 207 soldiers found their last resting-place in the Belgian military cemetery in the village of Westvleteren. Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Commonwealth Military Cemetery Lijssenthoek & Visitor Centre.
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery is the impressive witness of more than four years of war violence. From 1915 until 1920 the hamlet of Lijssenthoek became the venue for the biggest evacuation hospital in the Ypres Salient. Today the cemetery evokes daily reflections of the Great War. The visitor centre tells the story of this unique site.
Cimetière Militaire Commonwealth du "Tyne Cot"
Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest military cemetery of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the continent. This impressive cemetery has almost 12,000 tombstones. The impressive rear wall of the cemetery contains the names of 35,000 soldiers missing in action. On 12 July 2007 a brand new visitor infrastructure was opened. The new visitor centre offers a unique view over the former battlefields and contains much information on Tyne Cot Cemetery and the fallen of Passchendaele.
Cimetière militaire français "Ossuaire français" Kemmel
The mass grave at the foot of Kemmel Hill contains the remains of 5 294 French soldiers, of whom just 57 are identified. Their names can be seen on the central monument.Most of those men died during the battle for Kemmel Hill in April 1918. The panorama of the surroundings from this point is impressive. Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Mine Crater at St.Eloi
The crater at St.Eloi is the result of the largest deep mine detonated during the war. The crater is flanked by an intact British bunker from 1917 and stands just 100 metres from another crater, the result of one of the six mines exploded on 27 March 1916 during the Attack of St.Eloi.
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