Westhoek
Author: RouteYou Regios
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Touristic region

Stadenberg
Author: Minox
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Mountain Peak

De Oude Kaasmakerij
Tastes differ, times change... But the Oude Kaasmakerij has always succeeded in keeping its rich heritage alive. Not only thanks to its respect for craftsmanship and its love of flavour, but also thanks to a constant drive for innovation. In other words, a delicious combination of today and yesterday, which finds its expression in the authentic and refined character of the various cheeses. Thus the Oude Kaasmakerij has been writing history for almost as long as anyone can remember. And anyone wishing to sample this rich heritage will surely find fulfilment in the museum, where visitors enter an authentic evocation of a company from the 1930s and are given a glimpse into the art of cheese-making. An experience that gourmets will certainly find to their taste, one which is bound to increase their love of cheese even further Extra information: -Educational program -Group tour -Child friendly -Shop -Cloakroom Contact: - De Oude Kaasmakerij - 's Graventafelstraat 48 a, 8980 Passendale - Tel: +32 51 77 70 05 - Fax: +32 51 48 52 20 - E-Mail: info@deoudekaasmakerij.be - Web: www.deoudekaasmakerij.be
Author: Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden
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Eat & Drink

IJzertoren
At a 5 minutes walk from the Market Place you’ll find the Pax-tower, the Crypt and the IJzertower. All together they form the European Peace domain. In this museum (22 floors) you get an idea how life was during the First World War. Smell the chloral-and mustard gas, feel the fear of soldiers in the Trenches of Death. At a height of 84 meters you have a magnificent view over Diksmuide and the entire Westhoek region. Open daily from 1 October to 31 March, from 9.00 to 17.00 and from 1 April to 30 September, from 9.00 to 18.00. Weekends and public holidays open from 10.00. Closed on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December 2012 and on 1,2 January 2013. Also closed the three weeks following the Belgian Christmas. Entrance fee: €7 / 6-25 years: €1 / -6 years: free entry / 65+: €5 Extra information: -Accessible to disabled persons Contact: - IJzertoren - IJzerdijk 49, 8600 Diksmuide - Tel: +32 51 50 02 86 - Fax: +32 51 50 22 58 - E-Mail: info@aandeijzer.be - Web: www.ijzertoren.org entrance fee: 7 euro
Author: Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden
War

Rumbeke
The village Rumbeke (Roeselare)
Author: RouteYou Regios
Sub-Municipality

Sint-Paulus Bekeringkerk
The market place is dominated by a Neo-Gothic ‘hallekerke’ with three naves, built in 1923-1925 by the architect Thierry Nolf of Torhout. The west tower of the church is rather massive, but the view of the whole is lightened by a lawn surrounded by lime trees. Aside from the stained glass windows, the church lost all its treasures during the war. In 2002, on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the parish, all the liturgical space was rearranged. At present the church is used for concerts and conferences. Since 2009 the church has been enriched with a contemporary work " Kruisweg van liefde", 5 imposing canvases depicting Golgotha and the death on the cross and also the descent from the cross and the resurrection.It is the work of the Brussels painter Luc Hoenraet.
Author: Wizpr.guide
Heritage

Sint-Bavokerk
Neo-Gothic church of Saint Bavo built in 1922-24 with miraculous statue of Our Lady Westrozebeke is mostly known for the Battle of Roosebeke (1382), where the Flemish suffered a crushing defeat against the French. According to legend a red wire around the village has protected the inhabitants from the war. This wire was secured in seven places. These days the seven little chapels of the Procession still refer to those places. Ever since this battle, Our Lady of Roosebeke has been widely idolized. Little is known about the construction history of the church, but it is presumed that there already was a little stone church in Westrozebeke as early as the 12th century. In 1566 part of the church was damaged during the Iconoclastic Fury. Around 1740 it was decided to pull down the contemporary church and replace it by a new building. It is this new church that was completely destroyed during World War I. The current church is a reconstruction built in the 1920s.
Author: Wizpr.guide
Church

Three Canals
In 1914 and 1915 this bridge was an important outpost for the Belgian and later French troops. A memorial plaque on the wall commemorates the French Zouaves. In November 1914 French Zouaves attacked strong German positions . The Germans launched their advance by making captured Zouaves walk ahead of them into no man's land. Suddenly one of the Zouaves cried out 'Shoot us, for God's sake: it's the German's! The attacked failed. At the Three Canals De Boot, an ecological canal boat, is moored. Contact: - Site Drie Grachten - Drie Grachtensteenweg, Merkem
Author: Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden
War

Langemark
Langemark is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and a subdivision of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle. The village has about 5,000 inhabitants. Besides the village center, there are also three smaller hamlets on the territory, Madonna, Bikschote and Saint-Julien/Sint-Juliaan.
Author: Wikipedia
Sub-Municipality

Westrozebeke
Westrozebeke is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders. It is part of the municipality of Staden. It is located 6 miles west of Roeselare and 9.5 miles north-east of Ypres. It's a typical agricultural village with many farms.The name Westrozebeke means 'west thatch brook'. The word 'roze' is also related to the 'roes' of the nearby city Roeselare.
Author: Wikipedia
Sub-Municipality

Passendale
Passendale daːlə]) or Passchendaele is a rural Belgian village in the Zonnebeke municipality of West Flanders province. It is close to the town of Ypres, situated on the hill ridge separating the historical wetlands of the Yser and Leie valleys. It is also commonly known as a battlefield and the name of a campaign during World War I, the Battle of Passchendaele.
Author: Wikipedia

Oekene
Roeselare is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Roeselare proper and the towns of Beveren, Oekene and Rumbeke.
The name of the city is derived from two Germanic words meaning "reed" and "open space", i.e., a marsh in a forest glade. Roeselare's minor seminary is famous for having hosted the famous Flemish poets Guido Gezelle, Albrecht Rodenbach and missionary Jesuit Constant Lievens. The city is also home to the Rodenbach brewery.
Municipality

Bunker (de Ruiter)
This bunker formed part of the Flandern I Stellung, a strongpoint behind the German lines. There was heavy fighting here during the liberation of Roeselare in 1918. The bunker served as a forward aid post, or 'bunker field hospital'. The German cemetery next to it disappeared in the 1950s.Flandern I Stellung Flandern I Stellung The Flandern I Stellung was a German defensive line, specifically created to defend Roeselare against the Allies. For that reason, it lay just in front of the town gates. After all, Roeselare was the most important transport junction for the German armies in Flanders. Barbed wire was hidden among hedges, houses were turned into machine-gun nests, and bunkers were concealed by bushes or other landscape features. The end game In the autumn of 1918, the Allies began the final attack - the Liberation Offensive. After overrunning the German lines during the first few days, the offensive ground to a halt against the Flandern I Stellung. The early days of October saw desperate fighting in the lines around this bunker. On 3 October, Belgian troops forced their way through to the hamlet of De Ruiter, where they occupied several houses at the road junction. However, there was then a lull in the fighting as both sides had suffered heavy losses. The offensive resumed on 14 October. The fresh French troops succeeded in breaking through the lines, and liberated Roeselare on the same day. Field hospital and cemetery The bunker at De Ruiter served as a fortified barracks or as a medical aid post. A large German cemetery had been there for some time. About 2.500 dead lay in the cemetery around the bunker. In the mid-fifties, however, the Germans decided to centralise their cemeteries in Flanders, and the cemetery around this bunker was also to disappear. The graves were relocated to the Menen Wald cemetery in Menin.
Author: Toerisme Roeselare
Bunker

Oekene
The start of the war disrupted the peace and calm of Oekene. On 'Fleeing Monday' known as 'Vliegende Maandag', thousands of refugees passed through the village on the run from the rumours of advancing Germans. After that, Oekene was visited by British and French soldiers before eventually being occupied by the Germans. Fleeing Monday (Vliegende Maandag) Until Monday, 24 August, the war was only something to be read about in the newspapers for the people of Oekene. Over the course of the day, however, thousands of refugees from central Belgium suddenly arrived. In the end, it was nearly another two months before the Germans really occupied Oekene. Visitors from abroad The first months of the war brought an unprecedented flood of troops of foreign origin.
Author: Toerisme Roeselare
Village

The strawroute
Today you can cycle peacefully along the Stroroute from Roeselare to Zonnebeke. A forgotten rail connection between Roeselare and Ypres. During the war, this connection was broken by the front line. A railway across the front The Allied armies relied on supplies from Ypres and Poperinge. The section of railway in free Belgium was intensively used for this purpose. On the other side of the front, in occupied territory, Roeselare was a logistical hub for the trenches of the German Army. Storage space at the station The railway carried troops, armaments, rations, spares and dead and wounded soldiers. All the repaired goods were carefully stored until they were returned to the front.
Author: Toerisme Roeselare
Railtrack

RUMBEKE CASTLE
In 1917, the occupant of this castle - Count (and also Mayor) Henri de Limburg Stirum - filed a lawsuit against the German General who had requisitioned his castle.
Castle

Varlet Farm
Author: tvl
B&B

Battle of Passchendaele
The Third Battle of Ypres , also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders, as part of a strategy decided by the Allies at conferences in November 1916 and May 1917. Passchendaele lies on the last ridge east of Ypres, 5 mi from Roulers , a junction of the Bruges--to-Kortrijk railway. The station at Roulers was on the main supply route of the German 4th Army. Once Passchendaele Ridge had been captured, the Allied advance was to continue to a line from Thourout to Couckelaere .
Battlefield

't Kruiske (Moorslede)
Moorslede was near the front line and the trenches. Here, German soldiers dug underground passageways to protect themselves against enemy artillery. A bit farther along, in the open trenches, the soldiers were exposed not only to the artillery, but also to vermin and the weather. This formed a major challenge for the medical services.
POI

Diksmuide
Diksmuide occupies a special place in the history of the IJzer Front. Because it was built on slightly higher ground and is also a natural crossing point for the River IJzer, the flooding here did not result in a no-man's-land that was kilometres wide. Instead, the enemies confronted each other at a distance of metres, each holding one bank of the river. The town was quickly reduced to rubble by the bombardments of October 1914. All the buildings that you can now see were rebuilt after the Armistice in 1918. The Allies (the French and Belgians at that time) continued to hold on to the city centre for 10 days after the flood waters rose on 31 October 1914. But there was no strategic advantage in hanging on to a pile of rubble, and so the Allies withdrew to the far side of the IJzer. What remained of the town stayed in German hands until the Final Offensive in September 1918. The most dangerous parts of the line were the places where the trenches were very close to each other. Two strategic points in particular acquired great fame and significance during the First World War. The 'Dodengang' (Trench of Death) was the main Belgian position on the river bank, where many Belgian soldiers were killed. The Minoterie - old flour mills, whose ruins stood on the far side of the river from the IJzer Tower - served as a forward post and had the same evil reputation for the German Army. We will say more about these places at the Trench of Death and the IJzer Tower.
City

The IJzer Tower
The IJzer Tower has a controversial history. It was opened in 1930 as a symbol of the four years of fighting along the River IJzer, under the motto 'No More War'. However, the tower also bore the letters 'AVV- VVK' ('Alles Voor Vlaanderen – Vlaanderen Voor Kristus', meaning 'All for Flanders, Flanders for Christ'). For this reason, it became associated with the resistance of the Flemish nationalists to what they saw as the dominance of the French-speakers in Belgium. Stories about ordinary soldiers - largely Flemish - being sent needlessly to their death by officers - largely French-speaking - whose orders they could not understand helped to fuel the Flemish demands for greater political power and freedom of expression. Today, historians tend to nuance these stories, but until relatively recently they still excited great passion on both sides of the linguistic divide. In 1946 the IJzer Tower was blown up with dynamite, probably as a 'reprisal' against perceived Flemish collaboration with the Germans during the Second World War. The tower was rebuilt and re-inaugurated in 1965. Today, the content of the tower has been adjusted to reflect the needs and attitudes of the modern visitor, with a special emphasis on the new tower's message of peace. The full story is now told in a new museum display that has only recently been reopened. If you look across from the tower to the other side of the River IJzer, you will see Restaurant Sint-Jan. This is the spot where the legendary flour mills once stood: the much-feared Minoterie, which features in many of the wartime stories associated with this sector of the front. The photographs show how the Minoterie looked during the war, and we have collected together some of its more well-known stories.
Tower

The IJzerdijk
It was behind the IJzerdijk - the dyke of the River IJzer - that the Belgian Army established its front line positions in October 1914. During the war, the land on the far side of the dyke was covered in water. Here and there, there were small pieces of higher ground, which rose above the surface of the flood like small 'islands'. These were used as advanced posts and were the scene of frequent and often fierce fighting. They were reached by a series of walkways and pontoons, which allowed the soldiers of both sides to manoeuvre their way through the watery wastes. Behind the IJzer, nearby villages such as Oudekapelle, Nieuwkapelle and Kaaskerke were flattened by almost continual bombardment. The civilian population was ordered to evacuate in October 1914, but two elderly women refused to leave their homes. Marie Declercq, or the widow Debeuf or Mieke Beuf as she was known, remained in her house close to the dyke in Nieuwkapelle, from where she served coffee to the soldiers travelling to or from the front line. She was finally evacuated to Koksijde in 1915. The troops called her 'La Joconde' (Mona Lisa) because of her smile. The widow Favarger de la Favarge (Madame Tack) also welcomed troops to her home, the Villa Marietta, where she provided, amongst other things, snacks and shoe polish! She also ran errands for the men in the trenches, delivering their 'orders' with her donkey. Both these brave women were decorated by King Albert. Mieke was awarded the Civic Cross, Madame Tack was made a dame in the Order of Leopold.
Dike

Drie Grachten
Drie Grachten - meaning 'Three Canals' - was a peninsula in the middle of the flooded zone and, like Luigem a little further away, was the site of an advanced post. Both these posts were occasionally the scene of fierce fighting. In April 1915 the Germans stormed Drie Grachten following a savage artillery bombardment. In October 1917 it fell back into Allied hands. The Luigem peninsula was held by the Germans throughout the war. The map showing the position of the flood waters should make the situation clearer. Drie Grachten is particular associated with a well-known story of heroism and self-sacrifice, the historical accuracy of which is now open to some doubt. In the early hours of 12 November 1914 the Germans launched a night attack. They forced a number of captured Zouave soldiers to walk ahead of their assault troops, in the hope of tricking the French defenders of 1st Zouave Regiment. The plan seemed to be working until one of the captured Zouaves cried out: ‘Tirez donc, au nom de dieu, ce sont les Boches!’ (For God's sake, shoot, it's the Krauts!). This unknown Zouave and his comrades were mown down by French machine-gun fire - as were the attacking Germans.
Municipality

Peace windmill
Of the 65 windmills that stood in the municipalities of Ieper, Heuvelland, Langemark-Poelkapelle and Mesen in 1914, only two were still standing when the war finally ended in 1918. Throughout Belgium, many windmills were deliberately destroyed by the Belgian Army as they retreated towards the River IJzer. From the top of a windmill you can usually see a long way, as you can discover if you climb to the top of this mill. What's more, they often stand on hills or embankments raised above the landscape, so that you can see even further. Millers were frequently suspected (mostly incorrectly) of sending signals to the enemy by working the sails of their mill in a particular way. At the front, the mills (like church towers) were much more useful as observation posts and orientation points than as a cumbersome signalling tool. For this reason, they were often a target for the enemy artillery. Their ruins were often fortified, or served to strengthen fortifications elsewhere. Sometimes a mill was spared, because it served as a good observation point for one side, whilst at the same time serving as a good orientation point for the other side, allowing them to range their guns on more important targets. That was the case with this mill. It was damaged by fire in 1917, but survived the final offensives of the war more or less intact. It was restored as a peace mill in 2013. From here you can see from the hills of Heuvelland to the sea.
Mill

Willy Coppens square in Klerken
On this village square there is a small, almost insignificant monument to the memory of Willy Coppens de Houthulst. Coppens was the most famous pilot in the infant Belgian Air Force, with 37 victories. His 'specialization' was shooting down enemy observation balloons. This was no easy task, since they were often heavily defended by anti-aircraft batteries. Pilots were the great popular heroes, the 'stars' of the First World War. This was the case in all the warring nations, and Coppens was by far the most admired Belgian 'ace', even though he was not the most successful. Coppens scored his first victories above Houthulst and Houthulst Forest. When he was knighted by King Albert I he was therefore allowed to add the title 'de Houthulst' to his name. Coppens was also a daredevil. On one famous occasion in February 1918 he flew hundreds of kilometres over enemy territory so that he could greet his parents by waggling the wings of his plane over their house in Brussels. He was badly wounded in the skies above Torhout on 14 October 1918. He managed to get his plane back to his base at Etampes, but one of his legs had to be amputated. Unperturbed, he carried on flying in later life with an artificial leg...
Square

Klerken
From here, it is easy to understand why Klerken - and the strategic view of the surrounding countryside it offers - was so important. The side that held the high ground did not need to rely on vulnerable balloons and reconnaissance planes to gather their geographical and military information. Having a permanent point of observation like this one was safer and more certain. Klerken was in German hands throughout the war. It was one of their main supply bases and transport nodes just behind the front. They also built an observation tower to look out over the Belgian positions. Most of the local population was evacuated from the village in October 1914. Pastor Denys and the nuns in the local convent were among the few who were allowed to stay. The convent was used as a shelter for orphans, the handicapped, the sick and refuges. Pastor Denys kept a diary of his experiences.
Village centre

OEKENE, CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF LOVE (SCHOOL FOR GIRLS)
During the war, the schools of Oekene lost their buildings. From December 1914, these were progressively commandeered for the requirements of the front. The municipal school was turned into an Isolierstation where soldiers with infectious diseases such as typhus were treated. In the girls’ school of this Convent of the Sisters of Love, the Germans set up a Feldlazaret or field hospital.
POI

Frontzate
The ‘Frontzate’ cycling path follows the course of the old railway line no. 74. This line ran between Diksmuide and Nieuwpoort, and played a strategic role during the First World War. Here lay the Belgian army’s first line of defence against the enemy. When you walk or cycle along the ‘Frontzate’, you will see the remains of numerous concrete bunkers from the war years.
Path

Three Canals
In 1914 and 1915 this bridge was an important outpost for the Belgian and later French troops. A memorial plaque on the wall commemorates the French Zouaves. In November 1914 French Zouaves attacked strong German positions . The Germans launched their advance by making captured Zouaves walk ahead of them into no man's land. Suddenly one of the Zouaves cried out 'Shoot us, for God's sake: it's the German's! The attacked failed. At the Three Canals De Boot, an ecological canal boat, is moored.
War

Guynemer Memorial
Perhaps one of the most impressive French memorials in the Salient is that of the French pilot Georges Guynemer in Poelkapelle. Guynemer was one of the great pioneers of aerial warfare with 53 victories, some of his most notable in the skies above Poelkapelle. It was here that he disappeared on 11 September 1917 during a routine mission. His body was never recovered. The Guynemer monument was inaugurated on 8 July 1923 and is crowned by a graceful stork - a reference to the great ace's squadron: l'Escadrille des Cigognes.
Monument

Diksmuide H&T
Laatste verificatie en aanpassingen op 22/05/25 door William
Oekene, Moorslede, Passendale, Langemark, Bikschote, Knokkebrug, Diksmuide, Terrest, Westrozebeke, Oostnieuwkerke, de Ruiter, de Zilverberg, Oekene
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