
Roundtrip from Landegem along testimonies of World War I and II

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RouteXpert Catherine De Groote RouteXpert
Last edit: 01-05-2021
Start and end point is located in the East Flemish Landegem, part of the municipality of Deinze. The route goes via Wingene and Tornhout to Diksmuide along quiet rural roads, which are largely in very good condition. You drive back to the starting point via Ypres and Roeselare.
This route therefore gets 5 points.
Animation
Verdict
Duration
9h 57m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
207.94 km
Countries


Hill 60
The castle park of Poeke is a wooded park of 56 hectares with an absolutely beautiful castle in neoclassical style. The gardens are open daily from sunrise to sunset.
In Estaminet De Flasse you can stop and enjoy a drink or snack.
In Torhout you pass the Wijnendale castle that can be visited. There is a car park at the entrance of the castle park. The historic moated castle Wijnendale Castle to the north of the city center, surrounded by 180 hectares of forest, houses the glorious past from the 11th century to the present day. The museum shows you life in the castle and tells you the stories about Leopold III during the May days 1940, the counts of Flanders and dukes of Burgundy. The castle can be visited both individually and in groups. Admission price for adults is € 5. Opening hours: April to June and September: Wednesday and Sunday 1.30 to 5.30 pm - July and August Wednesday to Sunday 1.30 to 5.30 pm
The tour continues to Diksmuide. On the Grote Markt you can easily park and eat or drink something in the various restaurants. A must is certainly the Eethuis and frituur 't Belfort. Just over the Yser you will pass the Yser Tower. This tower, originally inaugurated on August 24, 1930, stands on the bank of the river Yser, near the city center of Diksmuide on the territory of the Kaaskerke district. On the four sides of the monumental base on the tower is written No more war, in the four languages of the warring factions of the Western Front during the First World War: Plus jamais de guerre, No more War, Nie wieder Krieg.
The Yser Tower is primarily a memorial to the Flemish fallen of the First World War, but at the same time it is also a symbol of the will, which arose along the Yser, for more political independence in Flanders.
The 22 floors of the Yser Tower are designed as a museum about War, Peace and Flemish emancipation. It has been part of the United Nations Peace Museums Network since 1998.
More information about visiting the Yser Tower can be found at the links at the bottom.
In the vicinity of Langemark-Poelkapelle you come to the Welsh memorial park. The red dragon, built on a dolmen ("cromlech" in Welsh), stands at the center of an area captured by a Welsh force on July 31, 1917. He looks towards Passchendaele, the village that would be taken three months later. This would kill half a million people. The surrounding park is dedicated to all the Welsh people, both soldiers and civilians, who were involved in the First World War. The monument is hidden behind a hedge, but there is a small car park.
A little further you will notice the Northumbrian Division Memorial. In all its simplicity, the sturdy monumental obelisk was not only to form a beacon in the flat, Flemish landscape, it also had to refer to the county in Northern England, where the division was recruited.
The Saint-Charles de Potyze cemetery is a French military cemetery with war dead from the First World War, located in the Belgian city of Ypres. Some 4,800 dead are commemorated, of which more than 1,300 could not be identified. The cemetery covers an area of approximately 29,900 m² and is located about three kilometers northeast of the city center, along the road to Zonnebeke (N332), just past the hamlet of Potyze. The entrance to the cemetery is flanked by two white stone columns. To the left, past the entrance, is a group of statues representing a calvary. At the back is a mass grave and an obelisk commemorating a number of infantry regiments. The tombs are marked with upright crosses, with the exception of some Muslim and Jewish tombs which have a stone tombstone with an inscription according to their beliefs.
Hill 60 is a hill just outside the Belgian village of Zillebeke, where fierce battles took place during the First World War. The hill is located near the Ieper-Kortrijk railway (Spoorlijn 69), along Zwarteleenstraat. The hill is approximately 60 meters high and 230 meters long. This hill was actually built from soil that was released during the construction of 'the' railway. The war site of Hill 60 has been preserved and can be visited freely. There is a small parking lot directly at the entrance.
In Vinkt, a district of Deinze, during the Eighteen Days' Campaign in May 1940, a massacre took place on the civilian population by the German army. Within a few days, 140 civilians were killed in Vinkt and Meigem, of which 86 people were executed and 27 civilians died in the church of Meigem as a result of a grenade explosion. The victims came from Vinkt and neighboring municipalities. A memorial monument has been erected at the church, consisting of a wall of honor with a monument, a wrought entrance gate, a monument of crosses and a memorial altar. Since 2013, a reflection room has also been housed in a separate wing of the Sint-Franciscus residential and care center. You can park along the Heerdweg and on the Martelarenplein. You can reach this square by turning right 100 m past the primary school into a narrow street on the traffic plateau.
From there it is about 15 km to the end of this route at the church of Landegem. There you can end the day at café De Gouden Klok or on the other side of the church at Brasserie De Lork where we started the route. In summer you can also enjoy a delicious pastry with coffee or taste the homemade ice cream on the terrace at the Aristo bakery.
This route gets 5 points. There are many commemorative monuments of the First World War between Diksmuide and Ypres. In Vinkt, the monument is a reminder of the massacre that took place in May 1940. The route follows quiet rural roads that are largely also in very good shape.

Diksmuide

Vinkt
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.

Hainaut Province
About this region
Hainaut (, also US: , UK: , French: [ɛno]; Dutch: Henegouwen [ˈɦeːnəɣʌuə(n)] (listen); Walloon: Hinnot; Picard: Hénau), historically also known as Heynowes in English, is a province of Wallonia and Belgium.
To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders (clockwise from the North) on the Flemish provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant and the Walloon provinces of Walloon Brabant and Namur.
Its capital is Mons (Dutch Bergen) and the most populous city is Charleroi, the province's urban, economic and cultural hub, the financial capital of Hainaut and the fifth largest city in the country by population. Hainaut has an area of 3,831 km2 (1,479 sq mi) and as of January 2019 a population of 1,344,241.
Read more on Wikipedia
To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders (clockwise from the North) on the Flemish provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant and the Walloon provinces of Walloon Brabant and Namur.
Its capital is Mons (Dutch Bergen) and the most populous city is Charleroi, the province's urban, economic and cultural hub, the financial capital of Hainaut and the fifth largest city in the country by population. Hainaut has an area of 3,831 km2 (1,479 sq mi) and as of January 2019 a population of 1,344,241.
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5 tours in Belgium in flat Flanders the hills of the Pays des Collines and the Ardennes
Those who like a winding and hilly course, along many small lanes with little to no traffic, will certainly find what they are looking for in the Pays des Collines, the region east and south of Ronse.
Between Diksmuide and Ypres there are many commemorative monuments of the First World War. In Vinkt in East Flanders, the monument commemorates the massacre that took place in May 1940.
Along rural quiet roads you can taste the history of World War I and II.
Marche-en-Famenne is an excellent starting point to thoroughly explore this plateau, which is cut by rivers and strewn with coniferous forests. The real Ardennes are the most hilly areas of Belgium behind the Meuse. Nature plays an all-important role on this trip.
In addition to the Ardennes, the route with start and end point in Huy also goes through a part of Condroz and Famenne. The Condroz, where wooded hills and valleys alternate, and the Famenne, which makes the transition to the Ardennes plateaus. In the summer it is wonderful motorcycling in the vast forests. You will not only enjoy the natural beauty, but you will also pass numerous castles, wild flowing Ardennes rivers, quiet villages and authentic tourist towns.
The tour from Namur runs through the Meuse area where you discover that the tributaries of the Meuse are of picturesque beauty. You will pass a large number of castles and fortresses. The roads along the Maas are busy arterial roads. But as soon as you can you will look for the smaller roads that are immediately a lot quieter and take us through forests and meadows.
Between Diksmuide and Ypres there are many commemorative monuments of the First World War. In Vinkt in East Flanders, the monument commemorates the massacre that took place in May 1940.
Along rural quiet roads you can taste the history of World War I and II.
Marche-en-Famenne is an excellent starting point to thoroughly explore this plateau, which is cut by rivers and strewn with coniferous forests. The real Ardennes are the most hilly areas of Belgium behind the Meuse. Nature plays an all-important role on this trip.
In addition to the Ardennes, the route with start and end point in Huy also goes through a part of Condroz and Famenne. The Condroz, where wooded hills and valleys alternate, and the Famenne, which makes the transition to the Ardennes plateaus. In the summer it is wonderful motorcycling in the vast forests. You will not only enjoy the natural beauty, but you will also pass numerous castles, wild flowing Ardennes rivers, quiet villages and authentic tourist towns.
The tour from Namur runs through the Meuse area where you discover that the tributaries of the Meuse are of picturesque beauty. You will pass a large number of castles and fortresses. The roads along the Maas are busy arterial roads. But as soon as you can you will look for the smaller roads that are immediately a lot quieter and take us through forests and meadows.
View Route Collection
5 Routes
1263.43 km
44h 49m
Vosges Mountains The Ultimate Collection out of Col de Bussang
The "Vosges Mountains Ultimate Collection" is an ultimate route collection that allows you to enjoy the Vosges in many ways. There is absolutely something for everyone in this collection, which includes arrivals and departures from Belgium (Hasselt, Kortrijk). from 17 different routes: 13 local and 4 transit routes.
The collection is also neatly divided into four groups, each of which in turn consists of a small, medium & XXL route version.
This makes this route collection extremely suitable for a group outing where different driving styles can be connected without any problems and you can also get to know the Vosges in a different way.
The more experienced 'iron butts' can try their hand at the XXL routes that will really get the most out of it, while the tourist rider will find something to his liking again in the small versions with its tourist stops and interesting facts.
Driving pleasure can be found for everyone in this collection that covers the full spectrum of the Vosges. You will of course cross the more famous parts such as the 'Route des Crêtes' and the famous 'Ballon', but we go much, much further in this ultimate collection. For those who really want to get to know and master the Vosges, this collection is a must.
For example, the Northeastern Vosges show their hidden gems (Riquewihr) and how about - you read that right... - an uninterrupted curve course of no less than 175 kilometers? And that's only part of the route..... Your tire dealer will recommend this route with a smile...
Your partner, on the other hand, will probably have some objections and will not share the tire farmer's smile. You pass virgins (Col du Vierges), neurotes (Col du Neurot), you get worms where you would rather not have them (Col du Wormspel) and you do not come home without alcohol (Col du Rothenbach) in the calvary tours (Col du Calvaire) which we present to you here.
You ride them all.... all the peaks of the Vosges slide under your wheels while unique vistas from the four corners of the world become your part. Perhaps you will not be able to stop talking about this at the tables of Motorhotel 'Col de Bussang' in the south of the Vosges. This hotel, completely renovated in the spring of 2022, has been selected as the departure and arrival point for all the routes in this collection.
You are of course free to look for an alternative here, but the excellent cuisine of 'Col de Bussang' and the renovated hotel are certainly recommended, partly because you will find a lot of like-minded (motorcycle) souls here. The location is also ideal for (re)discovering the four corners of the Vosges.
Fun not only during the day but also in the evening can be enjoyed extensively with all motorcycle friends while enjoying a tasty snack and a drink.
So add this "Ultimate Collection" to your motorcycle travel bucket list. You will not regret getting to know the Vosges Mountains in such a diverse way, while each route perfectly suits your individual driving needs.
So do. With greetings from your tire farmer and a tear from your partner.
The collection is also neatly divided into four groups, each of which in turn consists of a small, medium & XXL route version.
This makes this route collection extremely suitable for a group outing where different driving styles can be connected without any problems and you can also get to know the Vosges in a different way.
The more experienced 'iron butts' can try their hand at the XXL routes that will really get the most out of it, while the tourist rider will find something to his liking again in the small versions with its tourist stops and interesting facts.
Driving pleasure can be found for everyone in this collection that covers the full spectrum of the Vosges. You will of course cross the more famous parts such as the 'Route des Crêtes' and the famous 'Ballon', but we go much, much further in this ultimate collection. For those who really want to get to know and master the Vosges, this collection is a must.
For example, the Northeastern Vosges show their hidden gems (Riquewihr) and how about - you read that right... - an uninterrupted curve course of no less than 175 kilometers? And that's only part of the route..... Your tire dealer will recommend this route with a smile...
Your partner, on the other hand, will probably have some objections and will not share the tire farmer's smile. You pass virgins (Col du Vierges), neurotes (Col du Neurot), you get worms where you would rather not have them (Col du Wormspel) and you do not come home without alcohol (Col du Rothenbach) in the calvary tours (Col du Calvaire) which we present to you here.
You ride them all.... all the peaks of the Vosges slide under your wheels while unique vistas from the four corners of the world become your part. Perhaps you will not be able to stop talking about this at the tables of Motorhotel 'Col de Bussang' in the south of the Vosges. This hotel, completely renovated in the spring of 2022, has been selected as the departure and arrival point for all the routes in this collection.
You are of course free to look for an alternative here, but the excellent cuisine of 'Col de Bussang' and the renovated hotel are certainly recommended, partly because you will find a lot of like-minded (motorcycle) souls here. The location is also ideal for (re)discovering the four corners of the Vosges.
Fun not only during the day but also in the evening can be enjoyed extensively with all motorcycle friends while enjoying a tasty snack and a drink.
So add this "Ultimate Collection" to your motorcycle travel bucket list. You will not regret getting to know the Vosges Mountains in such a diverse way, while each route perfectly suits your individual driving needs.
So do. With greetings from your tire farmer and a tear from your partner.
View Route Collection
17 Routes
5631.49 km
144h 46m