ニエップの天然記念物・トップ12

The summit of the slope lies between the Rodeberg and the Vidaigneberg. Near the summit stands the Lijstermolen (Listers Mill). A chairlift runs between the Baneberg and the Vidaigneberg, gliding over the saddle valley between the two "mountains" and the vineyards of the Entre-Deux-Monts, offering panoramic views of northern France and the Belgian coastal plain. The summit is 140 meters high. The name comes from the Bane family, who owned the mountain in the 13th and 14th centuries. The slope is also sometimes called Gildestraat (Gilde Street). https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baneberg

The Irish Peace Tower is the central monument in the Irish Peace Park in Mesen, West Flanders. The park and the tower were built in memory of the Irish soldiers who were killed, wounded or missing in action during the First World War. The tower, which has a height of 30.5 metres, is designed according to the traditional model of an Irish round tower. Since September 2023, the park has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

An interesting anecdote concerns the explosion of one of the mines on 17 July 1955 by lightning. This mine had not been detonated during the war and was still underground. The explosion created a new crater and reminded the local population of the lasting impact of the war.

The Spanbroekmolen crater, also known as the Pool of Peace, is an impressive mine crater in Wijtschate. This crater was formed on June 7, 1917, during the Second Battle of Messines, when British troops detonated 19 underground mines. The explosion created a crater 27 meters deep and 129 meters in diameter. After nearly 100 years of erosion, the crater is now a peaceful pool 12 meters deep and 76 meters in diameter.

Take the time to get off your bike and read the inscriptions on the stones. They tell their own tale.

Behind the small Locre No. 10 Cemetery there is an oak tree in the middle of a field. The men in the cemetery died during the Great War of 1914-1918, one of the last victims of that same war fell 65 years later. A farmer ripped apart a bomb with the tail of his plow and flew into the air. The oak tree is planted at the site of the tragedy. www.derondevanbelgie.nl

A walking path around it stimulates the observation of the surroundings. Due to the high location (76m) one has a good view. It gives an idea of the view that the Germans had over the battlefield. Various landmarks make the spatial filling of the front landscape interpretable: the position of the Pool of Peace shows the advanced German positions, the first 130m on the other side of the Kruisstraat formed the no man's land. (Inventory of Immovable Heritage)

The mine crater in the grassland on the corner between Wijtschate and Scheerstraat is the result of the explosion of a deep mine from the First World War. Peckham was one of 11 locations on the First World War front where the mine battle was fought. The explosion of 19 deep mines on June 7, 1917 heralded the start of an Allied offensive (third battle of Ypres). The current mine crater at Peckham shows approximately the same dimensions as in 1917 (73m diameter, 14m depth). In 1938, the owner pumped out the crater, with the intention of giving tourists a better view of the original shape of the crater. A journalist testified that the empty crater appeared much larger than when filled. It is unclear how long the crater remained dry. In its natural state, the crater mouth quickly fills with water if it is not continuously pumped empty. (Immovable Heritage Inventory)