Kemmel: Bunker, Mountain and Hiking Route in the Heuvelland

Kemmel combines a striking landscape with impressive military history. The Kemmelberg, historic memorial sites and a varied hiking route give your stay different focal points. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home for a trip with several interests, you can incorporate nature experiences, local history and places of remembrance into your plans here.

Military history between bunker and memorial sites

The Command Bunker was built in the early 1950s as the command post of an international air defence system. It was subsequently equipped as a command post with extensive modern communications systems for exercises or in the event of a crisis or conflict. Its equipment, installations and fittings have been preserved and bear witness to half a century of tensions between East and West. For visitors interested in the political and military history of Europe, this site offers a particularly tangible connection to the period of the Cold War.

The memorial sites in Kemmel also refer to various chapters of European war history. Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery is a British military cemetery containing the dead of the First and Second World Wars. The French mass grave “Ossuaire français” consists of four mass graves in which 5,294 French soldiers are buried; 57 of them have been identified. It recalls the French presence during the First World War and commemorates the many French casualties in the Battle of Kemmelberg in 1918.

The Kemmel American Monument offers another historical perspective. It is located near Vierstraat on the Kemmelberg road and overlooks the contested battlefield of Ypres. In the village itself, the Dries, Kemmel’s village square, tells of an older history of use: originally it was a shared pasture, and later, in the late Middle Ages, it was used for the then very popular game of jeu de paume. Thus, the history of the site extends from regional traditions to the international conflicts of the 20th century.

Hiking on the Kemmelberg

The Kemmelberg hiking route starts at the “Het Heuvelland” visitor centre, Sint-Laurentiusplein 1, 8956 Kemmel. The route leads over farm tracks and through vineyards to the Monteberg, at 131 m, and then climbs steeply to the summit of the Kemmelberg. The Kemmelberg is 156 m high and is considered the highest elevation in Flanders. The different sections of the route make it an opportunity to discover the character of the Heuvelland landscape step by step.

Depending on the time of year, this can produce particularly striking natural scenes. On the slopes of the Kemmelberg in the Heuvelland, abundant purple bluebells bloom in April and May. Those choosing accommodation in Kemmel during these months can consider the seasonal landscape an additional focus of their trip. A stay can also be varied for families with different interests: while one part of the group follows the historical traces, another can explore the mountain and its paths.

Views and orientation when choosing accommodation

The Belvedère Tower is a protected monument on the Kemmelberg. It stands 170 m above sea level and offers views of up to 40 km. Together with the mountain, the hiking trails and the historical destinations, it shapes the character of a place where landscape and remembrance stand closely side by side. If you choose your holiday apartment according to your preferred holiday theme, Kemmel particularly appeals to travellers who want to combine hikes, regional history and peaceful discoveries.

The “Het Heuvelland” visitor centre also houses the permanent exhibition “Landschap en oorlog: Het Heuvelland 1914-1918”. It supplements visits to the historical sites with an exhibition perspective on landscape and war. For further orientation within the same broader selection, you can also view Dranouter, Westouter, Loker, Nieuwkerke and Wijtschate.

For the broader travel overview: Heuvelland.