Easy hikes and walks in Slagveld Passendale

Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, located near Passchendaele. It was established in October 1917 and contains over 11,000 graves of soldiers who died during the First World War. The site was strategically important during the Battle of Passchendaele and was used as an advanced dressing station after its capture by the 3rd Australian Division on 4 October 1917. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and includes an impressive Cross of Sacrifice, built on a former German bunker. The cemetery was significantly expanded after the Armistice to include graves from nearby battlefields and smaller cemeteries.

Eight memorial gardens were created, each in the shape of a poppy, a symbol of the war. Each garden was designed to commemorate the unique contribution and sacrifice of each country during the Battle of Passchendaele, using symbolic vegetation, modern art and poetry. The following countries were involved: Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, USA.

A poignant anecdote about Tyne Cot Cemetery concerns the father and son, Lieutenant Colonel Harry Moorhouse and Captain Ronald Moorhouse. Both served with the 4th Battalion, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and were killed within an hour of each other during the Third Battle of Ypres. Harry Moorhouse was seeking medical attention for his badly wounded son when he himself was killed. Their bodies were never recovered, but their names are immortalised on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Along the Stroroute, the walking path between Roeselare and Zonnebeke

The Passchendaele Memorial Park combines recreation and nature with the memory of the Battle of Passchendaele. The park has 8 memorial gardens in the symbolic shape of a poppy. At the request of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, these gardens are filled by the various nations that participated in the Battle of Passchendaele, with a design that combines modern art, poetry and symbolic vegetation from that country. During the commemoration years, the various gardens were opened. After a visit to the Passchendaele Museum, you can reflect on the horrors of the First World War in a subdued way during a walk in the park. Thematic walks to Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Polygon Forest and a bike ride that connects the WWI heritage in Zonnebeke also depart from the park. Source: https://www.toerismewesthoek.be/nl/flanders-fields/groote-oorlognl/doen/passchendaele-memorial-gardens

The Passchendaele Memorial Park combines recreation and nature with the memory of the Battle of Passchendaele. The park contains 8 memorial gardens in the symbolic shape of a poppy. At the request of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, these gardens are filled by the various nations that participated in the Battle of Passchendaele, with a design that combines modern art, poetry and symbolic vegetation from that country. During the commemoration years, the various gardens were opened. After a visit to the Passchendaele Museum, you can reflect on the horrors of the First World War in a subdued way during a walk in the park. Thematic walks to Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Polygon Forest and a bike ride that connects the WWI heritage in Zonnebeke also depart from the park. Source: https://www.toerismewesthoek.be/nl/flanders-fields/groote-oorlognl/doen/passchendaele-memorial-gardens

8 poppies tell the story of each nation presented here. France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, America... each with their own uniqueness

Before visiting Tyne Cot Cemetery, it is best to take some time to get to know the reception building – experience area. In various educational ways, visitors will be introduced to the horror of the Battle of Passchendaele. Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest British military cemetery on the European mainland.