Palingbeek Hiking Trail
Palingbeek Hiking Trail (12.2 km)
Start
Start: Palingbeek Provincial Park
The Palingbeek is a beautiful, rolling estate with a varied landscape. This hiking adventure takes you past ponds and marshes, forests both young and old, orchards, grasslands, and meadows. Along the way, you'll also come across many reminders of World War I. It couldn't be any other way in Flanders Fields. We'll set off at the Oude Vaart. An attempt was once made here – unsuccessfully – to dig a canal between Ypres and the river Yser. Today, it's a picturesque place for a walk. A good start and you're already half-way there!
Palingbeek car park: Palingbeekstraat – 8902 Zillebeke
The Bluff
It is at The Bluff that we first encounter the Great War. At the time, this was the only spot on the front where Allied troops could take up the higher ground and the Germans wanted to capture it at all costs, which is why they detonated underground explosives. That, in turn, resulted in a unique landscape full of craters which still exist to this day. From comfortable wooden boardwalks and stairs, you can explore a fascinating piece of wartime landscape in a natural setting.
The Oude Vaart
The Oude Vaart was once intended to be a canal. But why was that exactly? As early as the 17th century, there were plans to build a canal linking Ypres and the river Yser. Construction actually began in the 19th century, but it turned out to be no easy task. There were significant differences in elevation, and the ground was unstable. Despite frantic efforts to build locks, bridges and tunnels, the canal was never fully completed. The plan was abandoned and the brick lock structures were left to nature. Today, their walls are adorned with beautiful climbing plants and a sturdy bridge takes you safely to the other side of the 'canal'.
De Palingbeek Visitors' Centre
What is a refreshing hike without a suitable place to rest? About halfway along the route, you'll arrive at the De Palingbeek Visitors' Centre. Here, you'll find maps for exploring and hiking, and a chance to take a breather.
Insider tip!
Thirsty? You can buy delicious apple juice at the farm right next to the visitors' centre.
British military cemeteries
This walk will take you through the very heart of the Westhoek. In this region, World War I is never far away and the area is dotted with cemeteries, monuments and other memorial sites. You'll also find a handful of them along this route. This walk takes you past three British cemeteries: Hedge Row Trench Cemetery, First DCLI Cemetery and Spoilbank Cemetery. They are small but impressive places that call for serenity.
Insider tip!
Hungry? Just past the cemeteries, you'll find a beautiful picnic spot with a view of the towers of Ypres.
The artwork ‘Coming World Remember Me’
A war memorial can also have an artistic element and you'll discover that too on this beautiful walk. Along the way, you'll pass by Coming World Remember Me, a project by the contemporary Flemish Master Koen Vanmechelen. The result: an installation consisting of 200,000 figurines, one for each victim of that world war. The artwork has since found a permanent home in De Palingbeek and is keeping remembrance of the past alive.
Caterpillar Crater
In the mid-19th century, the railway line between Ypres and Kortrijk was built. The excavation of that railway line led to an artificial hill being created here. It has a peculiar, twisted shape. As its shape looks like the body of a caterpillar, it was given the name The Caterpillar. During World War I, this was a strategic location that was fiercely contested. A series of explosions created a massive crater, which continues to shape the landscape to this day.
Hill 60
We've now come to the last hill of the day: Hill 60. It owes its name to the fact that is precisely 60 metres high. There was also heavy fighting here during the '14 to '18 war. Both the Allies and the Germans dug several tunnels under that hill and detonated mines there. Signs of this can still be seen today.
Finish: Restaurant De Palingbeek
After experiencing this final bit of wartime heritage, your walk comes to an end. It's now time to relax and enjoy Flanders' culinary delights. Restaurant De Palingbeek offers classic yet contemporary cuisine in a soothing setting. Have the kids still got some energy left? If so, they can let off some steam at the playground in the grounds, on the bouncy castle (in the summer), or in the kids’ play area at the restaurant. Bon Appétit!
