Ypres In Flanders Fields

This tour takes in the dramatic history of World War I and the battles fought in and around Ypres. The city of Ypres, located in Flanders fields, was reduced to rubble by constant bombardments. Through the words of the poem by Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, it has come to symbolize the meaningless slaughter of the Great War. Now resorted to its former grandeur, Ypres contains numerous poignant sites and monuments linked to the war. There are many battlefields around Ypres where German and allied armies fought without decisive victories. New weapons such as gas, land mines and missiles left 1,200,000 injured and 500,000 dead. You’ll stop to visit one of the British cemeteries and see the Menin Gate, a famous British War Memorial with the names of 54,896 missing soldiers engraved on its walls. Visit the In Flanders Fields Museum. This is not a traditional war museum, as is not about weapons and strategy; rather it is about ordinary people who endured the war, the soldiers, nurses, fugitives and children. The generation that survived the Great War is dying, and with them the stories die too. The purpose of the In Flanders Fields Museum is to keep this compelling history alive for future generations. The innovative high-tech methods used within the museum have earned Flanders Fields the title of ‘Best European Museum.’ Following this visit you’ll have free time for shopping and lunch. Before returning to your ship, visit the Essex Farm Cemetery, one of the area’s most visited sites due to its association with John McCrae who wrote his poem on May 3, 1915, the day after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. Next to the cemetery is a marker with the date commemorating the writing of this poem.