53 U S A ( To l l - f r e e ) 1-877-381-2914 E m a i l info@theculturalexperience.com First World War WALKING THE YPRES SALIENT THE FIVE BATTLES FROM THE RACE TO THE SEA TO THE ADVANCE TO VICTORY This tour explores all five battles of Ypres in great detail, covering the ground of stoic defences, brave counter attacks and the first deadly use of poisonous gas on a battlefield. To walk the battlegrounds around Ypres allows the scarred landscape to reveal its stories of heroism and horror, enabling us to gain a deeper insight into the geography of war. Following the mostly gentle terrain, the walker's eye becomes attuned to the importance of ridges and folds in the landscape. We will be based in Ypres itself, where the vast majority of the town was destroyed beyond all recognition by German artillery and bombing, but was lovingly rebuilt to its Gothic and Flemish splendour after the war. It has since become a place of pilgrimage for descendants of the men and women of the First World War and is guaranteed to prove a moving experience. 28 September – 1 October 2018 4 Days with Simon Jones Activity Level 3 Essentials Return Standard Premier Eurostar, 4 star hotel, buffet breakfast, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour Price: £1245 Single supplement: £155 Deposit: £125 Price without train: £1095 Ypres and its surrounding salient became a major focus point of the war during the Race to the Sea in 1914, where it was briefly occupied by the Germans, only to be quickly won back and held thereafter by the Allies. Sometimes referred to as ‘Wipers’ by the Tommies, it became the beating heart of the Allied frontline throughout the First World War. The scene of no less than five crucial battles and at least four more major actions, the Ypres Salient gives us names that have lived long in the memory including Polygon Wood, Messines Ridge and Passchendaele. The important role played by the Ypres battlefieldthroughoutthe warenablesadeep insight to be gained into the development of tactics, logistics, strategy and technology. Day 1 – Ypres. Depart London St Pancras for Lille on Eurostar, drive to Ypres and check-in to our central hotel. This afternoon we walk the town of Ypres itself to hear of its remarkable survival: 'Little Toc H', the ramparts dressing station and cemetery, and the casemates which concealed headquarters and the printing press of the 'Wipers Times' (1.5 miles). Day 2 – First and Second Ypres. This morning we follow the First Battle of Ypres during the autumn of 1914 and the desperate last push by the Germans following the 'Race to the Sea'. Starting at Black Watch Corner, named after the men who stoically defended the position with heavy losses, we follow the Worcesters' epic counter attack from Polygon Wood to Gheluvelt on 31st October 1914 (2 miles). After lunch we turn our focus to the Second Battle in the spring of 1915, with the first gas attack at Langemarck on 22nd April from the German cemetery into the village (1 mile) followed by the heroic stand by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on Bellewaarde Ridge on 8th May (1.6 miles). This evening we attend the moving Last Post “This very interesting World War One walking tour, led by Simon Jones, gave us all a sobering insight in to what actually happened on the battlefields." ceremony at the Menin Gate. Day 3 – Third and Fourth Ypres. The Third Battle of Ypres, more commonly known as Passchendaele, was one of the bloodiest of thewar.WestartwiththesuccessfulAustralian attack at Broodseinde on 4th October 1917, following the advance up the ridge and the fighting for the ground around Tyne Cot Cemetery that bogged down the Canadians as they struggled to take Passchendaele (3 miles). In the afternoon we walk Fourth Ypres, with a short but steep ascent to follow the route of the German Alpine Corps in the dramatic capture of Mont Kemmel during the Kaiser's Offensive in April 1918 (1.4 miles). Day 4 – Fifth Ypres. The final battle of Ypres made up part of the 'Hundred Days' which would eventually lead to Allied victory on the Western Front. We focus in particular on the capture of the village of Ledeghem by the 9th Scottish Division in October 1918, where many massive concrete bunkers remain. The cemetery here contains the graves of British soldiers from 1914 and 1918 taking us full circle in the five battles (2.8 miles). Return to Lille for Eurostar back to London St Pancras. Australian troops on the Ypres Salient Polygon Wood