ウェルヴィクのおすすめツーリングルート

残念ながら、この近くには緑豊かな小道はもうほとんどありません。この小道をそのままにして、舗装しないでください。

asphalt cycle path.

Safe gravel path between Halluin and Tourcoing, on the old railway line.

Of course, these are not the belfry and town hall of Tourcoing, as the name of the highlight initially indicated, but those of Menen. The belfry, incorporated into the town hall, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Grote Markt. The historical function of this city tower was to warn of dangers such as fire with bells and to safely store important city documents. The foundation stone was laid in 1574 during the Wars of Religion. The building only acquired its current form in 1828. In the centuries before, the belfry was damaged several times. For example, during the siege of Menen in 1706, the spire was blown off. As a witness to a turbulent past, the 33-meter belfry still towers above the surrounding area today. It offers a magnificent view of Menen's city center and the border region. Beneath the belfry lies a bomb shelter from the Second World War. Source: information board on site

Hill 60 is an authentic area from the First World War. The artificial hill, built in 1850, stood at a height of approximately 60 meters, hence the name Hill 60. Between 1914 and 1918, fierce fighting took place here between the Germans and the Allies. Starting in 1915, both sides dug tunnels under the hill in which mines were detonated. The explosion of the deep mines on June 7, 1917, created the current landscape of Hill 60. Many soldiers are still buried beneath this hill.

Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, located near Passchendaele. It was established in October 1917 and contains over 11,000 graves of soldiers who died during the First World War. The site was strategically important during the Battle of Passchendaele and was used as an advanced dressing station after its capture by the 3rd Australian Division on 4 October 1917. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and includes an impressive Cross of Sacrifice, built on a former German bunker. The cemetery was significantly expanded after the Armistice to include graves from nearby battlefields and smaller cemeteries.

Mesen (also called Messines) is the smallest city in Belgium with only about 1075 inhabitants. Mesen has a rich history dating back to Roman times and played an important role in medieval trade, especially in the cloth and leather industry . The town is best known for the Battle of Mesen during the First World War, where it was a strategic location . Today, Mesen is home to several monuments and memorials, such as the New Zealand Division Memorial and the Irish Peace Tower, which commemorate the history and sacrifices of the soldiers during the war .

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.