The best hikes from bus stations 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.

The Road to Passchendaele is a stretch of railway between Zonnebeke and Passendale that formed a connection to the front during the First World War. Canadians, Australians and other nationalities of the Commonwealth all travelled via this railway line to Passendale to fight the Germans there. The railway runs along places that each have a special significance in the history of the First World War. More than 90 years after the Third Battle of Ypres, this connection is also becoming important to tourists. Along this route are monuments that were dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), these memorials commemorate the Australian Walk that was completed on 4 October 1917 by these corps. (info railway line 64)

The "Gefallene Landschaftsmarkierung" derives its name from its German origins and thus represents two different meanings: on the one hand as an indication for the fallen soldiers, on the other hand the work provides a clear landscape beacon. (info: website 'Invisible landscape' - https://www.onzichtbaarlandschap.be/ ) It is one of the 24 works of art spread and visible in the Westhoek)

Along the Stroroute, the walking path between Roeselare and Zonnebeke

An impressive memorial that vividly illustrates the role of the Maori presence in Europe during the First World War. The monument is a stone's throw from the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. The pou maumahara (memorial carving) is made from 4,500 year old native New Zealand wood by master carvers, teachers and students from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) in Rotorua, New Zealand. The monument has two sides representing Tumatauenga (war) and Rongomaraeroa (peace), recognising those who travelled great distances to take part in the war, as well as those who remained in New Zealand", "Pohutukawa trees welcomed the tupuna (ancestors) of the Maori people of New Zealand when they first arrived in the country, and were also the tree that spiritually bids farewell to our loved ones." The story depicted, “Pou maumahara”, is part of New Zealand’s shared history with Belgium – and the reason so many of our people travel here each year to honour the memory of those who fought in the First World War. The red pohutukawa flower is also often compared to the poppy at Passchendaele when it is in bloom. The monument weighs just over six tonnes and is eight metres high. A monument to look up to with respect. You can also observe the Haka at this location pronounce. Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuru huru Nana nei i tiki mai Whakawhiti te ra A upa ... ne! A upa ... ne! A upane kaupane whiti te ra! Hi!!! Ha!!! English translation: This death! This death! This life! This life! This death! This death! This life! This life! Behold! There stands a hairy man He has brought something He made the sun shine A step forward! Another step forward! A step forward, another.. The sun is shining!! Hi!!! Ha!!!

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