was having a lovely day until I walked into this shop. I met…read morethe most ignorant rude and unprofessional person I even had the misfortune to cross paths with. I was very friendly and engaged him in innocuous conversation. He tried to be rude by saying I changed the conversation topic without reason. He then used the most vulgar sick vile language I ever heard. I cancelled the sale of the book I was about to buy , due to his extreme rudeness. This was followed by another barrage of cursing and ranting and raving. This man needs medical help, and has no business dealing with the public. Horrific experience only go there if you want to listen to vile words and be insulted. The shop was also filthy and disorganised.

This is a little bookshop/antique store that basically specialises in World War One and Two books,…read moreDvds, and stuff found lying around on the battlefield (though the vickers heavy machine gun in the window I am told is not for sale, though I'm sure if your willing to spend enough money you might be able to negotiate a price). Also, the shop also have regular tours going out into the Ypres Salient, though they generally only run them if there are three or more on the tour. The tours are actually run by somebody different, and they are quite informative - you even get to see some of the trenches (though most of them were destroyed after the war). As for the shop, well there are lots of goodies available here for any world war buff, and certainly worth checking out if you happen to be in Ypres.

Justine was absolutely wonderful! Throughout the tour she was very passionate about history and…read moreAmiens in general. We had a lot of fun listening to her stories and asking her questions. I always appreciate a guide that takes the time to answer questions and share little anecdotes about the area. This tour is a must have to fully enjoy and appreciate the little details of Amiens, as well as the legends and history behind the Cathedrale Norte-Dame d-Amiens.

Well, this was a little secret that I knew nothing about until I actually arrived in Arras…read more Actually, as soon as I arrived my first question was - why am I here. As it turned out it was to visit this place, which is a huge network of caves underneath Arras. Originally it was a limestone quarry from the 17th Century but during World War I the Kiwis went down here and dug a huge network of caves to hide something live 24000 troops for eight days as they prepared for an assault on the German lines. Since there is something like 20kms of caves down here they only take you down in guided tours, and also give you a helmet because it is easy to hit your head. There is a multi-media presentation in parts of the caves, as well as reconstructed sections such as the bunk house. There are also lots of signs pointing to where the toilet is (for the troops that is, not the visitors). At the end they also have a short film that gives an outline of the outcome of the battle. Pretty cool place is you're not claustrophobic.

I didn't know about Canadian National Vimy Memorial until this visit. My bad. Canada lost many…read morelives in Vimy, on this site, in World War One. The memorial is beautiful. The various statues symbolize our emotions. The guided tour is the best part of the visit. It includes a short section of a tunnel dug during the war. Our guide explained how the war in Vimy was like, and the conditions the soldiers had to endure above and below ground: Cold and muddy; digging the tunnel by hand then hand carrying the rocks in bags for whatever long distance to get out of the tunnel and bury the bags in mud; mines blowing up just past the trench; hearing the noises of war. As she talked, I felt creeps running down my back. I wouldn't have last a week here, let alone the 3 months the soldiers endured during their rotation. Many Canadians died or suffered here to defend an ideal, to defend freedom. I feel grateful for the freedom and comfort we have nowadays. I have immerse respect for Canadian veterans and soldiers. Please pay a visit when you are near. It is only 1.5 hour drive from Brussels.

Talbot house was the finest house in Poperinge at the outbreak of WW1 being the residence of the…read moretown's wealthiest hop merchant. When the war broke out the house was rented by an English army chaplain Philip "Tubby" Clayton as a refuge for soldiers granted leave from fighting at the nearby frontline. The house was purchased by a trust and has been preserved as tribute the story of Tubby Clayton and the men that he provided a haven to during the war. The house has a museum and is also open to guests. When we arrived we were greeted by two friendly dutch ladies who turned out to be volunteers who acted as wardens to the house during our stay. Every guest is presented with a nice warm cup of tea and a chat about the history of the house and the surrounding attractions relating to WW1. On our trip we visited the Passchendale museum with realistic trenches and dugouts, Tyne Cot cemetery, the Irish peace garde and finished with the playing of the last post which takes place very night at 8pm at the Menin Gate in Ypres. Talbot house provides comfortable accommodation at very reasonable prices, there is also a beautiful kitchen where guests can store and prepare there own food. Breakfast can be ordered in our sourced form the nearby bakeries in the town There is free parking in the Gasthuis lot to the rear or elsewhere in the town. Apart form the WW1 sights, Poperinge is at the centre of the Belgian hop growing region which is home to some of the best Belgian beers including West Vleteren, St Bernardus and the ubiquitous Poperinge Hommer Beer. This is an exceptional and unique place and should not be missed by anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and experience of WW1.

Doubles as a bed and breakfast with a separate Yelp listing - did not stay here. The museum is very…read morewell put together with a surprising number of rooms and plenty of history to take in surrounding World War 1. At the end of the museum self-guided tour, you are able to go into the bed and breakfast portion (within the actual historic house) and sit and have tea with one of the staff. We also were given a tour of some of the rooms in the historical bed and breakfast, which were very impressive. The experience was well put together, unique, and the staff were outstanding. I found the experience to be personal, homely, and educational. Really glad we stopped in.

The is one of several impressive sites from World War Two in northern France, connected to the…read moredevelopment and construction of the V2 rocket-bombs by the Nazi regime. The site at Éperlecques was designed and built by the Todt Organisation, initially using voluntary labour, but later using large numbers of forced labour. Essentially, the site consisted of a series of enormous bunkers, intended to include a liquid oxygen plant for the V2 rocket propellant, an assembly plant to load on the explosive warhead, and a firing facility. 35,000 labourers worked at the site between 1943 and 1944. However, the Allies were alerted to its existence before it was completed. A series of bombing raids, using the then newly-developed 'Tallboy' bunker-busting bombs, caused severe damage to the facility (as well as huge loss of life to the construction workers). Thereafter, V2 construction was moved to a new site at La Coupole, and the bunker was used only to manufacture liquid oxygen. The site to-day is surrounded by woods, and the most of the tour takes place out of doors: displays explain the concept of forced labour, the Todt organisation, and the background to the V1 and V2 rockets. But the highlight is the bunker itself. It's a huge construction - over 90,000 tonnes of concrete were used, and the Blockhaus rises over 25m from the ground. It's a sobering thought to think that it is only a third of its planned size. The atmosphere is chilling, almost eerie: much of the lower section is under water, as without pumps the groundwater has flowed back in. The impact of the tallboy bombs is made clear by huge holes in the bunker roof and masses of twisted metal reinforcement. Part of the interior is accessible: a video presentation in the largest chamber inside describes the construction and operation of the facility, and the lives (and deaths) of the labourers. The tour finishes with outdoor displays of a V1 launch pad and other military items. There's no cafe but there is a small shop on site, selling books and momentos. There is specially reserved (level and firm) parking for motorcycles, and motorcyclists get a reduction of 1EUR on the entry fee. The whole site is now a French national memorial, dedicated to the victims of forced labour.

Dark. Concrete. Austere. Concrete. Twisted metal. Concrete. Concrete and more concrete. This is Le…read moreBlockhaus. It's also an immensely interesting place which in one foul swoop shows the strength and the evils of war. Situated in northern France, not far from the equally excellent La Coupole, Le Blockhaus is a war site, left untouched from its abandonment, standing as a monument to all. The bunker of Eperlecques was (and is) the largest WW2 bunker in Northern France. One cannot fail to be amazed at the scale of the construction, largely hidden from view until you're at its feet. There's a real sense of desolation here, despite other tourists walking round and chatting. The evil that was felt at La Coupole was not felt in such quantities here although it's hard to state why. Perhaps that Le Blockhaus was discovered by the Allies before too much evil was allowed to form here. Who knows? Evidence of warfare lies all around. The V1 doodlebug is on display, sitting atop its launch rails. Shells, rails, trains and did I mention the twisted metal and concrete? Le Blockhaus is more of a monument than a traditional museum. There is facility for guided tours but this place stands on its own and speaks far more loudly than any guide could. You'll only need an hour or so to visit here and it makes an ideal companion visit to La Coupole in nearby St Omer. Recommended.

I haven't seen the tower since I was a missionary in Amiens in 1978. But I knew it was historically…read moresignificant back then. At the time, it was being remodeled and somehow we got to tour it. The views were great and my admiration for the building have remained with me all these years.

The Tour Perret is a beautiful building. She lights up the night. There than Inside building. It's…read morevery big. Too bad we can't visit it. It is a square building. There is a clock that lights up too.

I stumbled across legends free walking tours and they were honestly perfect. In total, I took…read morethree. All of them were the evening tours so they gave you a perfect mix of history but also the cool stories too! The first one I took was in Bruges and the guide named Bram was fantastic. He was local to the area and the views were great. Our tour size was about 10ish people and was perfect. The second tour was in Brussels and I had Ellie as a guide. She knew a lot about the area and had studied museum history so it was perfect. There were only 3 of us on the tour so it was quite casual. The third tour I met up with a friend and we toured Antwerp with our guide Tom. It was just the two of us for that tour and Tom did a great job showing us the sites and not rushing us through! All the tours and guides were fantastic and I truly recommend taking a tour. Especially the evening tours because you get history that you wouldn't have thought to explore!

fantastic tour and got to know about the extensive history! my guide aline was great as wellread more