With always the famous Kemmelberg in our sight, we ride on asphalt just before the British cemetery when entering Kemmel village. At the ‘Polka’ roundabout (recognizable by the cyclist statues) we drive straight ahead for a while and then dive into a new unpaved ‘gravel strip’ on the right. Parallel to the Warandebos. In wet weather this sometimes becomes a mud strip (especially in winter), but if dry it is a wonderful passage before starting the inevitable climb of the Kemmelberg on the cobblestones. We descend safely via the narrow and hollow asphalt road where we have to look out for a while before crossing the Montebergstraat. The descent winds down between the grape fields and yes, we jump left over the stream (bridge) to cycle parallel to the road on unpaved earth and the many trees (forest) next to us. Only asphalt for a short while, because a new gravel climb awaits us immediately on the left. Crossing the road Nieuwkerke towards Kemmel and across the field (grassy spot) we reach the top of the ‘ridge’.

Now we cycle over concrete to Wulvergem to either stop for a moment at the couleur locale café ‘A la Basseville’? Or continue right, just for a moment because the narrow single track along the river invites you to weave through it. One British cemetery after another reveals itself in this piece of former ‘battlefield’. We take the unpaved strip straight through the field to a new ‘ridge’ or hill crest, located at the Rozenberg. On to the Plugstreets now! We make a special loop of about 7 km on Ploegsteert territory for this. Passing the Christmas Truce Memorial that commemorates the Christmas Truce of 1914, we are now in full Gent-Wevelgem atmosphere.

After that fascinating loop including a salute to the Ploegsteert Memorial with the ever-vigilant British Lions (more than 11,000 names of fallen soldiers with no known grave) we return to the point where that loop began. Now straight ahead and downhill for a bit of ‘Plugstreet gravel’. Did you know that the farm to the left of the main road to Mesen (climb at 5-6%) still houses an underground mine charge of about 30 tons that never exploded? Dates from the Mine Battle of 7 June 1917. Here across the Douve stream, mainly New Zealand soldiers attacked after the explosions of so many mine charges around Mesen. The Irish Peace Tower is a reminder of the Irish story. Inaugurated after the official end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, this Peace Tower (like so many that were built in Ireland at the time as an escape tower against invading Vikings) is also a symbol of reconciliation between Irish Catholics and Protestants.

We dive back into the field on the right at the tower to reach the Saint Nicholas church of Mesen. This rebuilt church still houses the crypt of Saint Adela, Countess of Flanders, Princess of France, deep in the cellar. A special lady with a very special ‘Christian’ and Maria-minded story. By the way, climb the high tower stairs… The view from the church of Mesen is magnificent, especially in clear weather. Did you know that you can even see the Mont-Saint-Aubert in Tournai and the Kluisberg in the Flemish Ardennes from here? The West and French Flemish ‘mountains’ are also beautifully recognizable together with the beautiful skyline of ‘medieval’ Ypres. In the south you can see Lille, but also the slack heaps of the Northern French coal basins… After greeting the footballing soldiers (German and English) on the market square of Mesen and perhaps also a visit to the small but fascinating WWI museum past this monument-with-football, you will also know what Mesen has to do with Adolf Hitler.

The chimney of the old brick and roof tile factory of Mesen betrays even more industrial archaeological heritage. Now we drive through a wonderfully open landscape to Houthem, a sub-municipality of Comines-Warneton, once West Flanders now Hainaut. And via a piece of the old canal Ieper-Komen we gradually arrive at a well-deserved drink stop… Zandvoorde and its Lustigen Boer are hard to resist. You will stop for a while anyway on the climb to it. Because there on the left, lies – once perfectly hidden from the allies who knew nothing about it, a German Commando bunker from 1916. Free to visit and yet the atmosphere inside is oppressive. Our guide will tell you all about it of course. And just before reaching the top of the Zandvoorde-climbing there is on your left a remarkable small cemetery dedicated to the First World War Cavalry (remember War Horse?).

Now the café and its delicious ‘picon maison’ awaits and just before that you will discover a special figure who has something to do with Zandvoorde: the world-famous songwriter Jacques Brel whose grandfather and father were from Zandvoorde. A plaque on the door facade states ‘Romain Brel’ lived here, father of Jaques. And both their dates of death…

The very cosy pub of innkeeper and former ‘baker’ Patrick Dehem exerts a special attraction on every passer-by. Once inside you will discover the special charm of this ‘chat café’. On the village square, look at the mural in honour of Jacques Brel and yes, go and have a pint or coke at Café Edelweiss, just to give all the shopkeepers in Zandvoorde something.

Back on the bike we reach the beautiful Gasthuis Woods and we meander a bit along both asphalt roads and unpaved forest and gravel paths. Wherever the route passes, you are overwhelmed by nature. Here too, your guide will tell you a special anecdote about cyclists and former rugby players.

Out one wood we approach another one: Hill 60, located on the Zwarteleen, hamlet of Zillebeke. Hill 60 and the mine crater of the Caterpillar over the railway bridge form an inextricably linked thread with World War I. Hill or Hell, because it must have been a real hell for the soldiers…

After crossing the Komenseweg we arrive in the last top gravel zone of the day. Through the provincial domain De Palingbeek we pass the No Man’s Land ‘the Bluff’ and gravel on pure asset roads towards AstroLab, a nocturnal stargazers mecca. And then follows a final climb to the Verbrande Molen to finally descend to Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) cemetery (from where the mines on Hill 60 were detonated by the Australian hero, Oliver Woodward). Along this double concrete track (or in the grass inside) we arrive in Zillebeke village, where the return journey via the idyllic Zillebeke Pond to Ypres and its world-famous Menin Gate is started.

Geniet na van een lekker drankje of versnapering in onze fietsbar, in het historisch centrum van Ieper!