Cycling in Salient

An alternative holiday for recreational cyclists who have an interest in the First World War.
This is a great way to see the First War battlefields of Flanders. If you like cycling and want to visit a First World War battlefield in the region of Ypres in Belgium then this is the ideal short holiday for you. This is a recreational battlefield cycle tour, it is not an endurance competition or a race, if you are a competitive cyclist then this isn’t for you. The rides are suitable for a first time cycle tourist and also for experienced cyclists who are looking for an easy cycle tour.

My name is Peter Williams and I work as a First World War battlefield guide. I’m normally based in Ieper (Ypres) in the West Flanders region of Belgium. I take groups of visitors around the British battlefields of the First World War, Flanders, the Somme, Arras, Mons, French Flanders often by coach, sometimes by mini bus or car, or on foot. However my favourite ways of touring is by bike, especially in the area around Ypres. There is so much to see and one of the best ways of doing this is on a bike, particularly on a pleasant summer’s day.

Cycling in Belgium

As in the Netherlands cycling in Belgium is given a high priority. Nearly all main roads have separate cycling paths, there are also many dedicated cycling tracks and Belgium has a vast system of cycling routes which use quiet country roads. If you have never cycled in Belgium one of the first things you will find is that cyclists have priority on roundabouts; this is slightly unnerving at first particularly after having taken your life in your hands on the roundabouts in the U.K. The area around Ieper has many quiet back road routes which occasionally transverse the odd main road. The other thing that appeals to cyclists in this area is that it is comparatively flat; there are few hills and even where there is a gradient the ascent is so gradual you tend not to notice.

Accommodation

We use the Sultan Hotel in Ieper for the tours. The hotel is in the middle of the town on the main square overlooking the famous Cloth Hall of Ypres. The hotel is a family run establishment, making every effort to ensure visitors have an enjoyable stay. All rooms are on suite, and have T.V. Computer and WiFi facilities available.
Bikes are stored securely under cover within the hotel. The location is ideal for a stroll around the main square or walk up to the Menin Gate for the daily Last Post Ceremony.

Ypres and the First World War

The town of Ypres, or ‘Wipers’ as the British troops referred to it, was at the centre of the 1914-1918 battlefield throughout the First World War. The vast majority of British soldiers who served on the western front would have served in the area of Ypres at some stage.
The town itself is over a thousand years old and was once a thriving commercial centre for the cloth trade. After the demise of the cloth industry Ypres became a military target and came under the control of various countries, the Spanish, Austrians, Dutch or French who saw the town as an important border fortress . By 1914 the town was at the centre of the agricultural community of West Flanders.
By October 1914 the town and surrounding area had become the central feature in the struggle between the allied and German armies. Over the next four years the opposing German and British frontlines moved very little; continuous shellfire devastated the area creating what only can be described as a featureless muddy desert. By the end of the First World War the town had been completely devastated as had the region around the town. During the 1920’s Ypres was rebuilt largely in the style of the pre war town although the Cloth Hall was not completed until the early 1960’s. Don’t look for the name Ypres when you come to Belgium. The official name of the town is Ieper according to Flemish tradition.