World War I
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. http://www.comingworldrememberme.be/ .
- Passendale: Tyne Cot Cemetery and visitors' centre.
- Zonnebeke: Polygon Wood Cemetery, Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum. http://www.passchendaele.be/
- 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).
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).
- The area abounds with bars and restaurants where you can taste local beers and excellent dishes based on beer. A superb beer restaurant in the neighbourhood is ’t Hommelhof at Watou. http://www.hommelhof.be/ Make your reservation in time!
- 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 ! http://www.indevrede.be/home.php?lang=nl (usually closed during the Easter holidays.)
- For an interesting guided visit (plus sampling) to the St-Bernardusbrewery in Watou: http://www.sintbernardus.be/bezoeken.php?l=nl.
- 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! http://www.dedollebrouwers.be
- 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. http://www.hoppecruyt.be/
- A particularly interesting project as well is the organic hop farm and adjacent brewery De Plukker, the only organic hop farm in Belgium: http://www.plukker.be
- And don’t forget the National Hop Museum in Poperinge, also well worth a visit! http://www.hopmuseum.be/
Hiking
n 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.)
Biking
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 on : http://www.fietsnet.be/routeplanner/default.aspx More about trails in the Ypres Salient can be found on: http://www.fietsroute.org/cycling/route/The_Ypres_Salient or : https://www.flandersfields.be/en/do/bike-trails
You can plan your trail at home on : http://www.fietsnet.be/routeplanner/default.aspx More about trails in the Ypres Salient can be found on: http://www.fietsroute.org/cycling/route/The_Ypres_Salient or : https://www.flandersfields.be/en/do/bike-trails
In the neighbourhood.
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.
Eating out
live Personally we recommend the following establishments, and we are not the only ones! Please, check for possible holidays and opening hours before you book. (we can do it for you on request.)
€ Restaurant ’t Jagershof within 2 kms, near the woods. Cosy restaurant, friendly people. Good value. Ideal to take a meal after a walk in the woods. Small but excellent exhibition in the attic about WWI in the area. http://hetjagershof.be/
€ Restaurant ’t Rozenhof (Proven) within 4 kms: renowned for its affordable and copious dishes.
https://www.facebook.com/rozenhofproven
€€ Restaurant ’t Hommelhof (Watou) within 8 kms: “haute cuisine”, many dishes prepared with local beer. http://www.hommelhof.be/
€€ Café In de Vrede (West-Vleteren) within 3 kms: in the immediate vicinity of the monastery and brewery of St-Sixtus. Taste "the best beer in the world", still brewed by the monks on site. Please, mind opening hours and holidays! (usually closed during the Easter holidays.) http://www.indevrede.be/home.php?lang=nl
€ Ice cream bar Ateljee 5 (Vleteren) within 3kms: located in the countryside, ample offer of different flavours. Nice playground for the kids. Limited opening days and hours! http://www.ateljee5.be/
€ Café-restaurant The Old Fiddler (Poperinge) 7 kms. Cosy Irish Pub. From time to time live performances staged. http://www.theoldfiddler.be/nl/
€ Instant Café-Shop Stek (Poperinge) 10 kms: every Saturday from 14.00-17.00: located in the countryside, organic farm supporting social and environmental projects. Very cosy place, also offering local real ales. A must see! http://www.stekvzw.be/
€ Café De Blauwe Plek (Reningelst) 13 kms: Nice café, from time to time live musical performances staged.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/De-Blauwe-Plek/115885738594816?fref=ts
€ Pub De Olifant (Ieper) 20kms. With several vegetarian dishes.
€ Restaurant St-Hubertus (Westouter) 15 kms. Nice dishes and vegetarian offer. http://www.sinthubertuswestouter.be
€ Restaurant Terminus (Abeele) 10 kms. A rising star, excellent wines, recommended by Michelin. http://www.restaurantterminus.be/
€ 't Leetvermaak (Ieper) 12 kms. Cosy restaurant, right in the centre of Ypres. www.leetvermaak.be
€ Restaurant ’t Jagershof within 2 kms, near the woods. Cosy restaurant, friendly people. Good value. Ideal to take a meal after a walk in the woods. Small but excellent exhibition in the attic about WWI in the area. http://hetjagershof.be/
€ Restaurant ’t Rozenhof (Proven) within 4 kms: renowned for its affordable and copious dishes.
https://www.facebook.com/rozenhofproven
€€ Restaurant ’t Hommelhof (Watou) within 8 kms: “haute cuisine”, many dishes prepared with local beer. http://www.hommelhof.be/
€€ Café In de Vrede (West-Vleteren) within 3 kms: in the immediate vicinity of the monastery and brewery of St-Sixtus. Taste "the best beer in the world", still brewed by the monks on site. Please, mind opening hours and holidays! (usually closed during the Easter holidays.) http://www.indevrede.be/home.php?lang=nl
€ Ice cream bar Ateljee 5 (Vleteren) within 3kms: located in the countryside, ample offer of different flavours. Nice playground for the kids. Limited opening days and hours! http://www.ateljee5.be/
€ Café-restaurant The Old Fiddler (Poperinge) 7 kms. Cosy Irish Pub. From time to time live performances staged. http://www.theoldfiddler.be/nl/
€ Instant Café-Shop Stek (Poperinge) 10 kms: every Saturday from 14.00-17.00: located in the countryside, organic farm supporting social and environmental projects. Very cosy place, also offering local real ales. A must see! http://www.stekvzw.be/
€ Café De Blauwe Plek (Reningelst) 13 kms: Nice café, from time to time live musical performances staged.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/De-Blauwe-Plek/115885738594816?fref=ts
€ Pub De Olifant (Ieper) 20kms. With several vegetarian dishes.
€ Restaurant St-Hubertus (Westouter) 15 kms. Nice dishes and vegetarian offer. http://www.sinthubertuswestouter.be
€ Restaurant Terminus (Abeele) 10 kms. A rising star, excellent wines, recommended by Michelin. http://www.restaurantterminus.be/
€ 't Leetvermaak (Ieper) 12 kms. Cosy restaurant, right in the centre of Ypres. www.leetvermaak.be