"Zillebeke and it's "road to hell"" Zillebeke by Pavlik_NL

Finally I had my chance to see "Ieper" and it's battlefields in South-Western Flanders. For my work I had to attend to a bourse in nearby Roeselare and as the organisation was in my hands I stayed four days in this neighborhood. As the bourse was in the weekend, I decided to claim at least an afternoon for myself in which I would pay tribute to the tragic history that this vicinity recalls. The centre now and then is "Ieper" (or "Ypres" as one says in English), but staying I recommend to everyone at the castlefarm 't Hooge, just a few kilometers East of Ieper in the village "Zillebeke".

Mine crater in the hotel's garden.

The "Ieper" Saillant curved from the North of the town Eastwards and closed in the South. "Ieper" itself was like half surrounded and constantly shelled. Therefor this town was ruined after the first worldwar. Zillebeke however was between the heavily fighting on the Eastern front and the road going through here and over the hill called 't Hooge (means "the Hight") soon became nicknamed "the road to hell". Fighting over hilltops particularly was fierce as the strategic importance of them was significant. The castlefarm with the same name disappeared during bombing. It was for short a British headquarters in this part of the frontline. During the "mine battle" the British dug long tunnels underneath German strongholds and blew them simultanously skyhigh. The explosion was the heaviest conventional one in history. The mine crater is now in the hotel's garden, where one can also see some tranches.

Memorial ground of "Perth cemetry" in Zillebeke

On this page I want to stand still in what happened in the Great War around Ieper, but on this part of the frontline in particular. Zillebeke was covered with tranches at the time and was a hotspot on the Western front. Here British fought fiercely against the Germans, but regarding to British one should never forget that they were from all around the world (British Commonwealth, thus Irish, Canadian, Australian, Indian etc.). In Zillebeke are several cemetries and memorials at Hill 60 and Hill 62. They will all pass in my tips.