Discover Houthulst

Houthulst combines impressive memorial sites with waterscapes, viewpoints and trails for active exploration. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Houthulst can therefore plan their stay around different interests: historic sites, a cycling tour, a hike or distinctive landscapes can each give the trip its own focus.

Mills and memorial sites of the Westhoek

A prominent landmark is the Vredesmolen, a stone windmill dating from 1879. It is regarded as a silent witness to the First World War in the Westhoek. After thorough restoration, the mill was converted into a viewing platform. From there, a unique panorama opens up over the historic battlefields and the hilly landscape around Houthulst. This combines engagement with the history of the site with a far-reaching experience of the landscape.

On the edge of Houthulst Forest lies the Belgian Military Cemetery, which was established after the First World War. The cemetery is one of 27 sites that have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The municipality of Houthulst holds a memorial ceremony there every year, in the period around 28 September. Those interested in the history of the region will find a place here where remembrance and landscape are closely connected.

Smaller historic and spiritual destinations also add to the picture of Houthulst. The Lourdes Grotto is the first grotto in Belgium dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. In Merkem, the Beukelaremolen was the only remaining and still operational mill in Merkem in 2011.

Water, views and trails

At Drie Grachten, three waterways come together: the Martjevaart, the Ieperlee and the Ieper-IJzer Canal. The Drie Grachten walking route also conveys the historic landscape of the First World War, where heavy fighting took place for four years. This makes the area suitable for trip planning that does not treat physical activity and regional history as separate experiences.

A different view of the landscape opens up at the Knokkebrug viewing tower. From there, the view extends on the one hand to the remains of the star-shaped “De Knocke” fort and on the other hand over the course of the IJzer and the floodable “broeken” wetlands. Such varied landscapes can play an important role when choosing the day’s itinerary: historic traces are followed by a viewpoint where water, terrain and the military past are visible together.

Experience Houthulst by bicycle and on foot

For cycling trips, the signposted Vrijbos cycling route starts in Houthulst and leads through Staden, Kortemark and Hooglede. Those who would like to include a clearly named route in their plans will find the Heuvelpad, a 7.5 km walking and cycling route in and around Klerken, a sub-municipality of Houthulst. The two options appeal to different ways of exploring the surrounding area: one route connects several places, while the other follows a fixed distance.

At the annual landscape festival “Houthulst op z’n Zondags”, visitors can discover hidden features of Houthulst on foot or by bicycle. The Vrijetijdscampus also has a technical course that is popular with off-road cyclists and freely accessible from sunrise to sunset. “Vrijbos op stelten” involves finding the right route, answering questions and possibly solving a puzzle.

When looking for accommodation in Houthulst, it is therefore worth first deciding on the desired travel rhythm. A holiday apartment suits a trip on which you want to combine historic sites, trails and viewpoints in your own order. For active days, the Vrijbos cycling route, the Heuvelpad and the technical course are available; for culturally focused activities, the Vredesmolen, the military cemetery, the Lourdes Grotto and the mills in Houthulst and Merkem are good options.

For further trip planning, you can also look at Jabbeke, Ichtegem, Bruges, Veurne, Ostend, Vleteren and Izegem.

For the overarching travel overview: West Flanders.