Revisiting Ypres
Ypres is a city many travellers feel they already know. The Menin Gate, In Flanders Fields Museum and the Last Post ceremony are well documented and rightly visited. But the city rewards a second look, and that is precisely why we returned. What follows covers a hotel, a museum and two restaurants that sit outside the standard itinerary, alongside four historic sites worth adding to the visit.
Reviewed March 2026
Stay
Hotel St-Georges IV
Hotel St-Georges IV sits a short walk from Saint George's Memorial Church, Saint Martin's Cathedral and the Cloth Hall. The property began as a private home in the early 20th century and survived two world wars before becoming the hotel it is today. That history is present in the building without being performed at every turn.
© Photo: St-Georges IV
Stay Close to Ypres' Landmarks
We stayed two nights in The View, one of the hotel's named rooms. The room itself is well considered, with remote-controlled curtains and lighting, a flat-screen television and a Japanese toilet, a detail that raises the standard above what the B&B category typically delivers. The beds are high quality and the shower is excellent. Despite the modern amenities, the room felt warm and domestic rather than clinical.
© Photo: St-Georges IV
Breakfast is included in the room rate and is prepared with care. Locally sourced ingredients, a homemade yogurt with granola served each morning and eggs made to order set a solid foundation for a day of exploring. The welcome from owner Veerle adds a personal dimension to the stay that a larger property in the same location could not replicate. Two private parking spaces are available at the hotel, with free parking nearby.
© Photo: St-Georges IV
St-Georges IV
Elverdingestraat 4, 8900 Ypres
Visit: Yper Museum
The Yper Museum occupies part of the Cloth Hall, the largest neo-Gothic civic building in Europe, and covers the history of Ypres and the wider Westhoek from medieval times to the present. The approach is modern and interactive, which makes the material accessible without reducing its weight. A scale model of the medieval city is one of the stronger exhibits, allowing visitors to read the urban structure of Ypres as it once was.
On the top floor, Cinema Vauban screens an animated film covering 300 years of the city's history as a fortified settlement. It is handled with a lighter touch than the rest of the collection, which suits the space. The museum's cat, Léon, and hostess Katelyne are part of the experience in a way that is difficult to explain on paper but works in practice. The museum also functions well for families, with interactive screens and a scavenger hunt running through the exhibits.
© Photo: Travel Magazine Belgium
Four historic sites around Ypres
The area around Ypres carries one of the densest concentrations of First World War heritage anywhere in Europe. The main sites, In Flanders Fields Museum, the Menin Gate and the military cemeteries, are visits we have made before and would not discourage anyone from making again. For a first visit to the region they are essential, and even a return visit rarely feels redundant.
Four further sites add depth to the wider area and reward the visitor who wants to go beyond the established itinerary. The Dodengang, or Trench of Death, near Diksmuide is a preserved Belgian trench that gives a direct physical sense of front-line conditions. Hill 62 at Sanctuary Wood, just outside Ypres, combines original preserved trenches with a small museum. The Yorkshire Trench is a restored British defensive system, less visited than comparable sites and more personal for it. The IJzertoren in Diksmuide is an 84-metre peace monument with a museum covering both the war and the Flemish political history bound up in it. The tower offers wide views over the surrounding countryside.
Eat: 't Hof van Commerce in Stavele
't Hof van Commerce has operated for 24 years near the Stavelebrug, with views over the IJzer. It draws walkers, cyclists and local regulars in roughly equal measure, and the atmosphere reflects that mix. In summer the terrace by the river is the obvious choice; in winter the fireplace does the work.
We had the Breughel Buffet, a generous spread of pork dishes prepared nose to tail, with homemade patés, meatballs, sausages, a range of salads, sauces and freshly baked bread. Everything is made in-house, and the quality reflects that. A cheese platter covers the table for those who want an alternative. Astrid's hospitality, delivered in a West-Flemish accent that feels entirely at home in this part of the country, made the meal feel as much about place as it did about food.
© Photo: 't Hof van Commerce
Eat: Den Heksestoel
Den Heksestoel arrives with the right atmosphere. Wooden floors, rustic furniture and antique details give the interior a density of character that takes years to accumulate and cannot be replicated from scratch. The wood stove makes it a natural stop during a winter walk or a cold afternoon in the Westhoek.
Pieter and Veerle run the room with warmth. We started with a homemade Picon paired with a St. Bernardus Abt 12, a combination that sets the tone for the kind of place this is. The menu leans into forgotten and local dishes. We started with grey shrimp croquettes, followed by pork cheeks braised in St. Bernardus beer, served with a salad and fries. The pork cheeks were slow and generous, the beer lending the sauce a depth that a less considered kitchen would not have managed. It was a meal that justified the detour.
© Photo: Den Heksestoel
You want to book a stay in Ypres? Contact our favorite travel agency Travel-Zone.