World War I in Poperinge and in the Ypres Salient. In Flanders Fields
During WW1 the Tommies called Poperinge “Petit Paris” (Little Paris): the town was one of the few non-conquered Belgian cities where soldiers came to find rest and recuperation. Hence, our guesthouse is an ideal base to start a visit to the Ypres Salient, with hotspots such as:
- Poperinge: Dozinghem Cemetery, the Death Cells, Lyssenthoek Cemetery and Talbot House (or: Every Man’s Club).
Ypres: the Menin Gate, Last Post, In Flanders Fields Museum, Hooge Crater Museum, Hill 60 en Hill 62, tens of military cemeteries, the Expo ComingWorldRememberMe in De Palingbeek. - Passendale: Tyne Cot Cemetery and visitors' centre.
- Zonnebeke: Polygon Wood Cemetery, Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum.
- Diksmuide: Trench of Death and Yser Tower.
- Hundreds of military monuments and cemeteries such as: Dozinghem Cemetery (Westvleteren), St-Charles de Pottyze (Ieper), Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof (Langemark), Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood Canadian Memorial (Zillebeke) and Canadian Forces Monument a.k.a. The Brooding Soldier (Langemark).
Breweries and hotspots of Belgian Beer
- Following the Ratebeers Best 2015 Awards 7 of the 100 best beers in the world are brewed in the Westhoek, in an area of 10 km around our B&B. Is there something in the air or in the soil that produces this unique tradition or maybe it’s nothing more than pure craftsmanship of the brewers in the region. To mention just a few: Westvleteren 12 and Extra 8 (Sint-Sixtusmonastery Westvleteren), Black Albert, Pannepot, Pannepot Grand Reserva and Pannepot Reserva (De Struise Brouwers Oostvleteren) and Sint-Bernardus Abt 12 (Sint-Bernardus Watou).
- You want to bike and visit beer hotspots? We give you advice for a nice trip.
- The best place to taste the “St-Sixtus Westvleteren Trappist” is Cafe In De Vrede, at walking distance from our guesthouse. Check opening hours and holidays ! (usually closed during the Easter holidays.)
- An interesting guided visit (plus sampling) to the St-Bernardusbrewery in Watou is frequently offerd.
- A sparkling festival of beer styles is brought to you at the Dolle Brouwers in Esen. The beers offered here fully live up to their name of “special” beer!
- You want to visit a working hop farm? Or you want to buy hop flowers or taste a uniquely destilled hop gin? You can do at ’t Hoppecruyt, a working hop farm in Proven.
- And don’t forget the National Hop Museum in Poperinge, also well worth a visit!
Hiking in Flanders
The Zevende Zon is surrounded by green fields, meadows and woodland. Make sure to bring your hiking boots! We give you advice for some nice hiking trails in the Ypres Salient. (Guide maps are freely available.)
Nice biking trails in Ypres and Poperinge
The hop region of Poperinge is a fantastic biking area. Flat or slightly undulating, this is the place where Flemish bike racers prepare for their 'classics'. Just like for hiking, there are plenty of biking trails and maps. It’s our pleasure to lend you some of our biking trailguides trail guides which show you the system of intersections to take on your outing.
You can plan your trail at home with this routeplanner. More about trails in the Ypres Salient can be found here.
You can plan your trail at home with this routeplanner. More about trails in the Ypres Salient can be found here.
Historical cities in Flanders nearby
Our B&B is the ideal base to visit the Westhoek region. Well worth a visit are the many interesting towns like Poperinge, Ypres, Bruges and Veurne or Cassel, Bergues and Lilles, just across the French border.
Kids' entertainment.
Ideal for the kids are: the brand-new swimming pool/aquatic pool in Poperinge, the animal sanctuary park De Zonnegloed in Vleteren and the many historical parades and processions like the Cats' Parade of Ypres.
