휴벨란트‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪14‬개의 동굴

A beautiful, spacious park with grassy areas and clumps of woods. Plenty of space for a relaxing break.

a nice little walk...

Zonnebeke, a charming municipality in West Flanders, is a place where history and nature come together. Known for its role in the First World War, it is home to impressive memorial sites such as Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest British military cemetery in the world. In addition to its historical significance, Zonnebeke offers beautiful landscapes and recreational routes, ideal for a trip through the rolling Flemish countryside. The Zonnebeke Castle Estate is an absolute must, where you can not only enjoy the green surroundings, but also take a culinary break at Koklikoo, a charming place for lunch, coffee and sweet temptations.

superb park to visit with the family

The Polderhoek is currently a forgotten piece of land near the A19 motorway, next to the Witches Monument. It is almost unthinkable, but during the war there was a beautiful park in the Polderhoek valley. The southern Polderhoek Castle stood in the middle of the park. The Polderhoek Castle, popularly known as the “Flower Castle”, was one of the most beautiful castles in the region. The castle was built around 1850, was over 30 hectares in size and had Italian architectural influences. From the beginning of the First World War, the beautiful park was occupied by the Germans. In 1914, the front ran right through it and the park was then on German territory. On 4 October 1917, British troops succeeded in taking the northeastern part of the park. However, they did not get any further and the offensive was stopped on the ridge. The entire area was shot to pieces and the Reutelbeek, which flowed through the park, formed a wide swamp. Triggered? Want to know more about the war past? Click through to https://www.toerismezonnebeke.be/nl/zien-en-doen/polderhoek-chateau-verdwenen-kasteel/

The castle was built in 1925 by order of Jacques Bruneel de la Warande, mayor of Kemmel. Previously there was a castle, which was destroyed in 1918 during the First World War. Architects were Henri Carbon and Charles Pil. After the castle served as a holiday home for a while, it was put into use as the town hall of Heuvelland in 1979. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel_De_Warande

From 1 June to 29 September 2024, the region will host the land art festival "ArtPenteurs". One of the works is "M for Marguerite", of course placed here in the park. (If you are standing with your back to the villa: about 50 metres further on, turn left)

Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), the celebrated writer of, among others, "Het hermetisch zwart" (The Hermetic Black) and "Hadrianus' Herinnerschriften", refers to this place of her youth in many of her works. In interviews towards the end of her life, she repeatedly stated that it was her wish to protect this piece of nature. This was worked on from 1986 onwards. The villa in the 50-hectare park is now a writer's residence. In the vicinity of the villa there are many signs with quotes from famous authors.