Bruges, Ostend & the Last Post in Ypres

This morning we visit Bruges, a beautifully-preserved medieval city of picturesque canals, and narrow cobbled lanes crammed with fine chocolate shops, lace boutiques and souvenir shops.

Our next stop is Ypres, the scene of one the biggest battles in the First World War. Having been completely rebuilt after the war, it serves as a place of pilgrimage and memorial; there are plenty of museums and monuments to pay your respects and find out more about the town’s historic role. One special highlight is listening to The Last Post, played every evening at 8pm at the Menin Gate in tribute to those who fell.

For our first excursion we head to pretty Ghent, with its perfect patchwork of medieval cobbled streets, quaint market squares, striking churches, an ancient castle and plenty of museums which sit on a peninsula of peaceful waterways. No other city in Belgium has as many classified buildings, so make sure to admire the stunning architecture here, including St Bavo’s Cathedral, which stands on the site of a 10th-century church and a 12^th-century Romanesque church. Due to the city’s power in the Middle Ages, the churches were converted during the 15^th and 16^th centuries into the impressive Gothic cathedral we see today.

We then make our way to Ostend, Belgium’s premier coastal resort. Known as ‘the City by the Sea’, Ostend is a cosmopolitan gem that boasts miles of sandy beaches, a beachfront promenade, a yachting marina plus a whole host of shops, bars and restaurants.

After checking out of our hotel we make an en-route stop in Dunkirk. The third largest port in France, Dunkirk has a rich maritime heritage and is also famous for the evacuation of Allied troops during the Second World War. The town also has a long seafront and a fine sandy beach, nicknamed the ‘queen of the northern beaches’. Later we continue to Calais for our return ferry home.