Ypres/Ieper (Ieper with an I not an L as it is commonly mistakenly spelt. A beautiful medieval city with a sad history. Five of the most bloodiest of battles were fought here. The city was rebuilt to honour it's past with museums and events to do this.

An important sight is the Menin Gate. A memorial is held under the gate every evening at 8pm. They have been doing this since 1928 as a memory to the lost lives. Crowds wait under the Menin Gate on all 4 corners.

At 8pm the volunteer buglers raise their instruments to play the Last Post. Traditionally, the Last Post ceremony consists of a parade, and one minute’s silence, the laying of a wreath, flags and banners. A very moving ceremony of which I felt I'd rather absorb the atmosphere than take photos or video it. It's fantastic that and all those lost lives are remembered every day here and it certainly was a very moving experience.

Along the city is the ramparts we took a nice walk along with views of Ypres. The city itself has a beautiful market Square, currently hosting a small Christmas Market.

We based ourselves here for 3 nights in order to explore the memorial sites and cemeteries in the area. To read more about the cemeteries and memorials we visited along with photos please see our blog 'Exploring Ypres Cemeteries and War Memorial WW1"

The aire we stayed on cost 8 euros a night which includes electricity but not water. Water costs 1 euro and is situated outside the parking lot. Very pleasant walks around a fishing lake for dogs and ideal place for exploring the area. It's about 15 mins walk into the centre of Ypres. Plenty of space and peaceful and most the time we were on our own but I imagine in higher seasons it gets busier.

The Menin Gate

The inside of the gate in inscribed with the names of the soldiers who died.

The Menin Gate at night.

The volunteer buglers raise their instruments to play the Last Post..

The Christmax Market.

The Aire Nearby.