25 projects let the scarred landscape of Westhoek speak

The many craters, bunkers, monuments and military cemeteries characterize the landscape in the Westhoek and attention is paid to this with various exhibitions and events.

First discovery

Tourism Flanders and Westtoer have selected 25 projects that focus on the landscape in the Westhoek that was marked by the First World War. Flemish Minister of Tourism Zuhal Demir: “From Flanders we invest more than 2.5 million euros in the ‘Landscapes’ theme year. The wide program of expos, exhibitions, cycling and walking routes will breathe new life into the beautiful landscapes of the region with its cemeteries, villages and heritage. For many people interested in the First World War, this will probably be their first discovery of the memorial landscapes of the Westhoek. They will also become acquainted with a slogan that is as important today as ever: No More War. No More War.”

Sabien Lahaye-Battheu, chairman of Westtoer and deputy for Tourism: “LANDSCAPES | Feel Flanders Fields takes a different look at the war past of the Westhoek. This new theme year shows how traces of history are intertwined with landscape. Visitors enter into a dialogue with the environment and the past come to life. An enriching experience that leaves no one unmoved.”

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Starting point

The ideal starting point for visiting LANDSCAPE | Feel Flanders Fields is the exhibition For Evermore: cemeteries of the First World War in the Flanders Fields Museum. This temporary exhibition zooms in on the many cemeteries you will find in the Westhoek. “After this exhibition, visitors will never look at the Westhoek landscape in the same way again. The environment is more than an idyllic setting. It comes to life and speaks to the visitor personally,” says Dimitry Soenen, chairman of the In Flanders Fields Museum.

You can find the whole program here back.