Ypres was the site of the Canadian’s first major battle, and the first use of poison gas as a weapon. From here you can also visit several other major battle fields: Hill 60, Passchendaele, and Mount Sorrel.
Though the Dutch name Ieper is the official one, the city’s French name Ypres is most commonly used in English. The city is a 3 – 3½ hour drive from Amsterdam and 3¼ – 3¾ hours from Paris. Book a hotel close to the main square where there are many restaurants and you can walk to the Menin Gate.
You might like to stay close to the location of the gas attack in 1915: Bed and Breakfast accommodation in Ypres: Varlet Farm. It’s only a 20 minute drive from Varlet Farm to Ypres. Members of the Project Team have stayed here for many years.
We have created a map showing all of the locations listed below. The map symbols show which locations should be visited in each day.
One day tour
- 15th Battalion Saint Julien Memorial is in the village of Sint-Juliaan. It’s a 15 minute drive from Ypres.
- A two minute drive down the road will take you to the St. Julien Canadian Memorial – The Brooding Soldier which commemorates the Second Battle of Ypres – the second gas attack. Spend at least 30 minutes taking in this very impressive and famous memorial.
- Less than a kilometre to the East of the Brooding Soldier is the “Death Mill” – the Steenakkermolen – Totenmühle. This was the site of the 15th Battalion’s Advance Headquarters and Close Support and the location at which Major William Marshall won the DSO for his actions during the gas attack on 24 April 1915. (Battle of Second Ypres.)
- A short walk down the road is the 15th Battalion Gravenstafel Ridge Memorial. This Ridge marks the second line of defence that the 15th Battalion fell back to during the gas attack. As you stand facing the Memorial, you can see the right hand side of the 15th Battalion trenches at the start of the gas attack.
- A five minute drive away is Poelcapelle British Cemetery in which 4 men from the 15th Battalion rest.
- Langemark German Cemetery – a UNESCO World Heritage site – is a seven minute drive away. Here are buried the remains of more than 44,000 German soldiers. Directions are here. Spend at least 45 minutes here to appreciate the magnitude of what you are seeing.
- Return to the main square in Ypres and visit the In Flanders Fields museum which is in the Cloth Hall on Market Square. Spend 1½ – 2 hours here.
- After supper walk to the Menin Gate and attend the Last Post daily tribute to the fallen.
Two day tour
- It’s a 15 minute drive From Ypres to Tyne Cot Cemetery in which 3 of our men rest. This is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the world! There are 11,965 graves, of which 8,369 are unnamed. The bunkers which still stand in various parts of the cemetery were part of a fortified position of the German Flandern I Stellung, which played an important tactical role during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Spend at least one hour here.
- A five minute drive will take you to the Passchendaele Canadian memorial in the town of Passendale (as it is now called.) Spend 15 minutes.
- A seven minute drive will take you to the Passchendaele Museum. This excellent museum warrants spending at least 1½ – 2 hours.
- The Hill 62 (Sanctuary Wood) Canadian National Memorial is a 10 minute drive from the Passchendaele Museum. Spend 15 minutes.
- You might also want to visit the reconstructed trenches at the Sanctuary Wood Museum a three minute walk down the road. Stay about an hour.
- Visit the 15th Battalion Observatory Ridge Memorial which is 10 minutes away. From here you can see Mont Sorrel.
- Only 5 minutes away is the 15th Battalion Hill 60 Memorial. – the location where LCol Marshal was shot by a sniper.
- A 3 km drive takes you to Railway Dugouts Cemetery in which 40 men from the 15th Battalion rest.
- If you have time, take the 25 – 30 minute drive to Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery where LCol Marshall is buried. Spend 20 minutes here. Then 25 minutes back to Ypres.
- Finally, return to visit St. George’s Memorial Church near the Market Square in Ypres.
Three day tour
This day is basically a straight run route down to Ploegsteert and loop back through Poperinghe
- St -Eloi craters. Click HERE to see location.
- Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery has a number of 15th burials besides the one known burial. They are all Unknowns of the 15th Bn which is why they don’t show on the cemetery registers. A number of them were misidentified and the Project Team had the CWGC correct their headstones.
- Mesen (Messines -Belgium’s smallest town) is on the way to Hill 63 where the 15th Bn did trench tours in late 1915. Not too much to see other than the position but Lt FM Gibson was KIA there.
- The dead from those tours are in La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery which commemorates 16 named Highlanders.
- Ploegsteert memorial / cemetery. No Highlanders rest here but the Memorial is worth seeing.
- Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery
- Red Lodge was was a rear area HQ the 15th Bn occupied in late 1915
- Piggeries was where the Battalion mascot Bruno was found.
- Ploegsteert Wood Military Cemetery No Highlanders rest here.
- Lancashire Cottage Cemetery is the resting place of two identified Highlanders
- If you didn’t have time on Day 2, you should visit Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery resting place of LCol WR Marshall and other notable Highlanders. Also visit the French Monument at Mount Kemmel, and Talbot House Poperinge a beautifully restored guest house.
Tour map
- Hover over or press icon to open the Info Window.
- Click or press anywhere on the map to close the Info Window.
- Click or press the icon in the upper right corner of the map to open it in full screen mode.
- Click on the address / GPS coordinates to copy this to the clipboard. Now you can share the location with another device or send it to someone else.
- Click on “More details” in the Info Window to learn about the location.