Essex Farm CWGC Cemetery


The enduring image of poppies as a symbol of wartime sacrifice comes from the famous poem In Flanders Fields. It was written by Canadian doctor John McCrae in a concrete first-aid bunker that's now preserved at Essex Farm Cemetery. Rare bus 40 passes by.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

3. St-Maarten en St-Niklasskerk

1.46 MILES

Directly behind the Lakenhalle, this vast church was a cathedral until 1797 and was almost totally destroyed in WWI. Reconstruction has beautifully…

4. In Flanders Fields Museum

1.5 MILES

No museum gives a more balanced yet moving and user-friendly introduction to WWI history. It’s a multisensory experience combining soundscapes, videos,…

5. Lakenhalle

1.51 MILES

Dominating the Grote Markt, the enormous reconstructed Lakenhalle is one of Belgium’s most impressive buildings. Its 70m-high belfry has the vague…

6. Gateway to Ypres

1.54 MILES

This excellent visitors centre should be your first port of call if you're a Commonwealth citizen looking for information about a family member who died…

7. Menin Gate

1.56 MILES

A block east of Grote Markt, the famous Menin Gate is a huge stone gateway straddling the main road at the city moat. It's inscribed with the names of 54…

8. The Last Post

1.56 MILES

Every night at 8pm, traffic through the Menin Gate is halted while buglers sound the Last Post in remembrance of the WWI dead, a moving tradition started…