It is now less than a year until the beginning of
the centenary of the Great War. Throughout Belgium, and in particularly, in
Flanders Fields, the Westhoek region of Flanders, between August 1914 and November
1918, the peaceful landscape of homes and fields was transformed into a battlefield panorama. The
war devastated entire cities, towns and villages, and destroyed them beyond
recognition. And a million soldiers, men from right around the globe, were
wounded, missing or killed, whilst thousands of citizens were made homeless and
left as refugees.The surviving
landscape tells the story of the war. Over the past 90 or so years,
it has drawn thousands of visitors, and as we approach the centenary of this
period that has shaped the world we live in today, we know this number will
swell dramatically. From people paying tributes to family members killed in
war, to school children learning about the dire consequences of conflict, there
are many reasons why people of all ages and backgrounds come to visit. In
recognition of this, considerable investment has been made into the visitor
experience.
Many of the math
visitor sites have undergone major renovation. In Ypres, the In Flanders Fields
Museum, housed in the
magnificent Cloth Hall (itself, rebuilt after the end of the First World War)
reopened in July of last year with an expansion of 50% and
utilisation of state-of-theart technology, including the presentation of personal stories to visitors, based
upon data they've entered into a micro-chip embedded in a bracelet This July saw the opening of new sections of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele
1917 in Zonnebeke, with a new building dedicated to the Battle of
Passechdaele and an expanded reconstruction of German and Allied trenches.
These are just a couple of highlights - I could also mention a new visitor
cemetery next to the Military Cemetery at Lijssenthoek , the restoration of the gardens at Talbot House,
the famous soldiers' club in Poperinge or the renovated Yser Tower Museum in Diksmuide. And
there's work still being undertaken, including the development of a brand new
visitor centre next to the Ganzenpoot lock complex in Nieuwpoort, expected to
open in October next year. There's also been significant investment made into the
accessibility of the product - not just the visitor sites and museums, but into
restaurants, accommodation public toilets...all the parts of a visitor's
experience. Visit Flanders has put together a comprehensive guide, providing detailed information to
the Flanders Fields region for visitors with disabilities. This commitment
to tourism for all' was recognised recently at World Travel Market London,
where Visit Flanders picked up the 'accessible tourism award' at the Amadeus /
World Travel Market Awards.
In addition to the major sites within the
Flanders Fields region, there's a huge programme of special events taking place
right across Flanders.
There are far too many to mention all of them - but these include 'The Light Front' - a human chain of
fire along the valley of the Lys River, to the construction of a pontoon bridge across the River Scheldt in Antwerp, which will be the platform for an
event packed with music and dance performances, and visitors will have a
once-in-alifetime opportunity to cross this unique bridge.Of course, one
of Flanders' greatest assets is its warmth of welcome, and this is embedded
firmly within tourism assets. Whether its hotels that know about those little
things that can really make a stay for British visitors, to restaurants that
not only welcome groups with open arms, but serve them truly magnificent food
and drink, the people of Flanders work hard to deliver world-class hospitality.There's much
more information about the commemoration of the Great War Centenary at www. flandersfields1418.com,
or contact our Trade
department in London. We're looking forward to strengthening our work with the
groups market and facing the busy years ahead together.
Other news from Flanders...
Flanders
Memorial Garden at Wellington Barracks
As a gesture of
gratitude to the British people for their support during WW1, the Government of
Flanders is co-funding a special Remembrance Garden at Wellington Barracks, home to the Grenadier
Guards in London, to be opened in November 2014. http://wwwmemoria12014.com/en/
Visit Flanders
New Accessible Tourism Brochure is launched
Look out for the
new Accessible for All Flanders Field Brochure which has just been launched.
The new guide highlights the new range of accessibility in the region and in
particular, around sites concerning The Great War Centenary. The brochure highlights
cemeteries, monuments and various sites that have made special provision of
accessibility in mind. Visitors can view different levels of accessibility in
the area ranging from restaurants to public facilities to tourist offices and
transport options. With large numbers of visitors expected in Flanders for the
Centenary of the Great War, a significant investment in providing accessible
tourism facilities for all, is clearly visible in the In Flanders Fields region
now
Stay overnight..
Factorij 10 B&B in Peer Located in the
village of Peer is a new B&B with ten rooms. Housed in an old tobacco
factory dating back to 1832,
the new B&B offers a variety of rooms, some with a terrace. The property's
wellness area includes a sauna, an infra-red sauna,
and an outdoor terrace with a jacuzzi Peer is
conveniently located just 4km from the Pieter Bruegel Museum, 9km from the Ter Dolen Brewery
and Peer's Indoor Ski Area within a 10 minute drive away. Rates start at 110€ per room per night www.factoriilO.be
Remember...
Christmas Markets
Flanders is gearing up for the busy
Christmas season and there are plenty of festivities taking place all over the
region. As well as some delicious beer on offer, there'll be generous offerings
of jenever and gluwein close by! Brussels has one of the largest Christmas
markets and as well as a Son and Lumiere show. Over 240 stalls selling
handicrafts, speciality foods and gift stalls are just some of the things to
look for. An impressive 1000 square metre ice rink takes pride of place in the
city's Vismarkt together with beautiful ferns wheel for amazing views of the
city. Festivities start on 29 November and go well into the New Year until5 Jan
2014. www.wthterwonders.be
The city of Bruges
starts their Christmas festivities from 22 November 2013 to 2 January 2014 with markets
taking place in two locations, the Markt square as well as Simon Stevinplein.
Market stalls, an ice rink and the annual Ice Sculpture festival.
No comments:
Post a Comment