Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Natural Monuments

View of the Kemmelberg

Natural Monuments

View of the Kemmelberg

Highlight • Viewpoint

View of the Kemmelberg

Recommended by 43 cyclists out of 44

Save

Location: Heuvelland, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

Save

See rides here

Take Me There

Routes here

Top cycling routes to View of the Kemmelberg

4.9

(23)

259

riders

1. Mesen – Gildestraat Climb loop from Poperinge

64.2km

04:00

570m

Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Expert

4.5

(2)

283

riders

2. Kemmelberg Ossuaire – Gildestraat Climb loop from Ieper

77.1km

05:35

950m

Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Expert

4.5

(4)

147

riders

3. Magnificent view – Beffroi de Bailleul loop from Ieper

80.7km

05:06

820m

Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Expert

Tips

Glen Sobel

August 24, 2024

The Kemmelberg, also known as the Kemmel for short, is a hill near the town of Kemmel in the municipality of Heuvelland (West Flanders province) in Belgium. The wooded mountain reaches a height of 154 m, making it the highest hill in the West Flanders province. It is part of a chain of Flemish mountains. There is an early Gothic tower near the top of the hill. The mountain gained particular importance as a strategic military point during the First World War. An obelisk on the western slope of the mountain marks the site of a burial site for French soldiers, and there is a war memorial on the summit itself. The hill and its surroundings are now a scenic and popular tourist destination. The cobblestone climb, which is up to 23% steep, is a highlight of the classic Gent–Wevelgem cycling route.

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

August 23, 2022

Historical information:
About 2,500 years ago, a Celtic community belonging to the Hallstatt culture settled on the Kemmelberg. The Celts built a fortress and maintained a trading relationship with the Romans.

During the First World War, the Kemmelberg was a strategic point and it was heavily fought over by the warring parties. During the Spring Offensive of 1918, German troops under General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin took possession of the Kemmelberg on 25 April. The next day a French counter-attack took place, but the German troops advanced to Dikkebusvijver. On April 29, the German advance was halted, the fighting continued until the end of July 1918. On September 5, the Kemmelberg was recaptured by the Allied troops with the help of the Americans. After the fighting, the hill was bare and it was replanted with deciduous trees.

Archaeological excavations have been carried out since the 1960s.

On the western flank is a French mass grave containing the remains of more than 5000 French soldiers who fell in the First World War. At the top is a memorial column, the Monument Aux Soldats Français, erected in 1932 and inaugurated by General Lacappelle. The column is 17 meters high and depicts the Roman goddess of victory Victoria. The monument is called "Monument Aux Soldats Francais" and is popularly called "Den Engel". Originally the column was 18 meters high, on top of the column was a laurel wreath with a French soldier's helmet on top, which however disappeared after a lightning strike in the 1970s.

On the southern edge is the command bunker of Kemmel, a former command bunker from the Cold War of the Belgian army, which has been converted into a war museum since the end of October 2009.

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

September 17, 2022

Historical information:
About 2,500 years ago, a Celtic community belonging to the Hallstatt culture settled on the Kemmelberg. The Celts built a fortress and maintained a trading relationship with the Romans.
During the First World War, the Kemmelberg was a strategic point and it was heavily fought over by the warring parties. During the Spring Offensive of 1918, German troops under General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin took possession of the Kemmelberg on 25 April. The next day a French counter-attack took place, but the German troops advanced to Dikkebusvijver. On April 29, the German advance was halted, the fighting continued until the end of July 1918. On September 5, the Kemmelberg was recaptured by the Allied troops with the help of the Americans. After the fighting, the hill was bare and it was replanted with deciduous trees.
Archaeological excavations have been carried out since the 1960s.
On the western flank is a French mass grave containing the remains of more than 5000 French soldiers who fell in the First World War. At the top is a memorial column, the Monument Aux Soldats Français, erected in 1932 and inaugurated by General Lacappelle. The column is 17 meters high and depicts the Roman goddess of victory Victoria. The monument is called "Monument Aux Soldats Francais" and is popularly called "Den Engel". Originally the column was 18 meters high, on top of the column was a laurel wreath with a French soldier's helmet on top, which however disappeared after a lightning strike in the 1970s.
On the southern edge is the command bunker of Kemmel, a former command bunker from the Cold War of the Belgian army, which has been converted into a war museum since the end of October 2009.

Translated by Google •

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 40 m

Weather

Today

Sunday 2 November

12°C

8°C

100 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See rides here

Take Me There

Location: Heuvelland, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

Other Popular Places to Check Out

View of the Belgian Countryside

Kemmelberg Cobblestone Climb

Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) Ypres

Kemmelberg

Menin Gate Memorial

Kasteel De Warande

Ieper Ramparts

French Monument (Den Engel) – Kemmelberg

Le long de Kasteelbeek

Tussen Kemmelstraat en Nieuwstraat

Kemmelberg Belvédère

Pool of Peace (Spanbroekmolen Crater)

View of the Kemmelberg

1. Mesen – Gildestraat Climb loop from Poperinge

2. Kemmelberg Ossuaire – Gildestraat Climb loop from Ieper

3. Magnificent view – Beffroi de Bailleul loop from Ieper

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️