Ypres (Ieper)
About this Place
Ypres (officially Ieper) is a historic city in West Flanders. It became one of medieval Flanders’ great cloth-making centres, alongside Brugge and Ghent, and its magnificent Cloth Hall remains the most visible symbol of that prosperity.
The city is now inseparable from the First World War. Ypres stood at the centre of the Ypres Salient and was almost completely destroyed during four years of fighting. Its principal buildings, including the Cloth Hall and St Martin’s Cathedral, were carefully reconstructed afterwards. The Menin Gate commemorates more than 54,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in the region and have no known grave; the Last Post has been sounded beneath it almost every evening since 1928.
Ypres also has a distinctive modern beer connection. Brouwerij Kazematten operates from the historic casemates beneath the city’s fortifications. Its Wipers Times beers take their name from the satirical trench newspaper produced there by British soldiers, who pronounced Ypres as “Wipers”. The surrounding Westhoek includes the hop-growing centre of Poperinge and several important brewing communities, making Ypres an excellent starting point for exploring both Belgian beer and the region that helped shape it.
Visitor notes
The In Flanders Fields Museum, housed in the reconstructed Cloth Hall, provides the best introduction to the city’s wartime history. The nearby Menin Gate hosts the Last Post Ceremony every evening at 8.00 pm. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s visitor centre opposite can help visitors explore the surrounding cemeteries and battlefields.
The city’s ramparts offer a fascinating, relaxed walk around the city and is best started by the Menin Gate memorial.
Brouwerij Kazematten offers brewery visits on selected Fridays and Saturdays. Check current arrangements and book in advance where required.
If you're visiting this corner of West Flanders, Ypres is a great base to also explore nearby Poperinge and its Hope Museum, Watou and the St Bernardus Brewery, and Westvleteren and In de Vrede for the famous Westvleteren beers.