NEW TOUR!
Gain an insight into the World War I battlefields of Flanders and the Somme which shaped the history of modern Europe and commemorate the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for peace. Accompanied by a local battlefields guide on both days, we see the key sites, cemeteries and monuments and attend the moving Last Post ceremony in Ypres. Visits include the In Flanders Fields Museum and the Historial de la Grande Guerre Museum.
Tuesday To France via Calais and on to our hotel in central Ypres where we should arrive mid-afternoon.
Wednesday We meet our guide and visit the In Flanders Fields Museum, located on the town’s market square. This award-winning museum recalls personal stories of individuals during World War I through various objects on display and the latest technological museum applications, including an interactive poppy bracelet. We then gain an insight into the Flanders battlefields and pay our respects at two of the key cemeteries at Tyne Cot and Essex Farm, where the poet John McCrae wrote his famous poem. Following a set menu dinner at Domaine de Lissewal we attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, dedicated to the soldiers killed in the Ypres Salient during the Great War whose graves are unknown.
Thursday We travel to Peronne and, with our expert battlefields guide, explore the Somme battlefield area. Then to the Historial de la Grande Guerre Museum, located in the town’s castle, which features displays and films to show visitors not only what life was like for soldiers on the front and behind the lines, but also the effect of the Great War on the civilians occupied by an enemy force. Following free time for lunch in Albert, we visit other key sites such as the Thiepval Memorial and Beaumont-Hamel Memorial Park.
Friday We return home with a short stop in the town of Dunkirk - associated with the evacuation of British troops in WWII. We then continue to Calais and returning home.
Price Includes- Return coach travel
- Home pickup & drop off service (see here for details.)
- Channel crossings
- Tours as indicated (Inc. guide on two days and two museums)
- Hotel accommodation of bedand breakfast, plus one evening meal
PLEASE NOTE: Dinner is only included on one evening. The hotel does have a restaurant and there are lots of options nearby.