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This annual activity on the coast and in the Westhoek is open to civilian as well as military participants from Belgium and abroad and pursues three main goals:
- Strengthening the relationship between the Belgian Defence and the society by bringing military and civilian participants together during a shared sporting activity.
- Commemorating with great respect the people who perished during the two World Wars, in particular those who fell in the Westhoek during World War I.
- Helping walkers uncover the historical and tourism value of the Westhoek and the southwest coast.
The “Four Days of the Yser” takes place every year during the first full week following 15 August and offers four days of walking for young and old alike to enjoy.
Participants are free to choose which and how many days they wish to participate.
For every day, there are also different distances to choose from: 8, 16, 24 and 32 km. Alternative routes are available to maximize accessibility for participants with disabilities.
There is at least one ceremony per day to commemorate the civilian and military casualties of both World Wars, and particularly World War I given the region.
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Day 1 Oostduinkerke |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
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Date |
23 August 2022 |
24 August 2022 |
25 August 2022 |
26 August 2022 |
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Location start |
Parking lot church Sint Niklaas Leopold II-laan Oostduinkerke dorp |
Market Square Diksmuide |
Train Station Poperinge |
Market Square Ypres |
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Location finish |
museum NAVIGO Oostduinkerke dorp |
Market Square Diksmuide |
Train Station Poperinge |
Torrepoortwijk Ypres |
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Starting time |
08.00-10.30 h |
08.00-10.30 h |
08.00-10.30 h |
08.00-10.30 h |
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Route map |
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Participants with disabilities |
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Accessibility |
P Tepelhoornstraat |
public transport P Diksmuide |
public transport P Poperinge |
public transport P Ieper |
Additional information will follow later.
Start Area:
Finish:
In addition to the physical challenge and the pleasant atmosphere among participants, the “Four Days of the Yser” wants to make time for remembrance and respect in memory of the many military and civilian casualties who fell in the area during World War I.
Along with various patriotic associations, we invite you to take part in these moments of reflection and we ask that you show appropriate respect during these commemorations.
The official opening ceremony will take place on the Monday evening preceding the event. The shrimp fishermen on horseback from Oostduinkerke, who created the Four Days of the Yser, will escort the prominent figures from the Zeedijk to the monument to the fallen at the Sint-Niklaas church in the Leopold-II laan.
On the closing day in Ypres, the daily “Last Post Ceremony” under the Menenpoort in Ypres will exceptionally be advanced from 8 pm to 3 pm. After listening to the penetrating tones of the bugles, the Four Days of the Yser will officially be brought to a close with a parade of all participants from the city’s edge, through the Menenpoort to the main square.
An overview with the locations and times of the ceremonies will be included here as soon as it becomes available.
18.00 hrs: Departure from the Astridplein to the parking lot of the Sint-Niklaas-Church for the tribute at "the memorial for the military and civilian dead of Oostduinkerke".
08.00 hrs: Official starting signal;
11.00 hrs: Tribute at “the memorial for the military and civilian dead of Newport" Onze-Lieve-Vrouwstraat - Newport;
14.30 hrs: Memorial of the "Zouaven", Zouavenplein, Koksijde.
08.00 hrs: Official starting signal;
11.30 hrs: War memorial Merkem, Westbroekstraat 8650, Merkem (Houthulst);
13.00 hrs: Ceremony at the memorial wall of admiral Ronarc’h and the French marine fusiliers at Diksmuide. Organised by the patriotic association of Diksmuide and "Souvenir Français";
14.15 hrs: Ceremony at the “Onze-Lieve-Vrouwhoekje” at Oud-Stuivekenskerke
Organised by the "Friends of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwhoekje”;
16.00 hrs: Ceremony at the “Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Vladslo”, Houtlandstraat te Vladslo;
17.30 hrs: Tribute at the memorial on the Italy Square
Organised by the patriotic association of Diksmuide;
18.00 hrs: Memorial on the Market Square of Diksmuide.
08.00 hrs: Official starting signal;
11.30 hrs: Haringe “Haringhe Bandaghem military cemetery”, Nachtegaalstraat 2, Haringe;
18.15 hrs: Tribute at “the memorial for the military and civilian dead of Poperinge"
Market Square Poperinge.
08.00 hrs: Official starting signal;
11.30 hrs: “Tuileries Cemetery”, Maeldestedestraat, 111 Zillebeke;
15.30 hrs: Last Post ceremony at the Meningate of Ypres;
15.45 hrs: Closing parade and ceremony at the Market Square of Ypres.
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29 April till 31 July included |
As of 01 August |
On location |
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Payment methods |
website: - bancontact - mastercard - visa |
website: - bancontact - mastercard - visa |
cash bancontact visa mastercard |
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Adults |
€7/day |
€8/day |
€8/day |
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until 18y with passport |
€5/day |
€6/day |
€6/day |
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Transport (facultatief) |
€7/day |
€7/day |
€7/day |
Registration is possible as of 29 April 2022.
When pre-registering, after payment you will receive the electronic ticket (E-ticket) that you need to bring to the start zone where, after scanning the E-ticket, you will receive your personal walking card and accessories.
The transport is not obligatory, but provides bus transport from one of the 5 pick-up points to the start zone and back from the finish zone.
The timetable of the buses can be found under the heading "services-transport" as soon as it becomes available.
The participation fee includes insurance, medical support on the route, provisioning and a souvenir.
The Artillery Battalion is in charge of organising the Four Days of the Yser.
In carrying out this mission, this battalion – some of whose barracks are located in Lombardsijde – is assisted by the Competence Centre Support Material and Products in Ypres, the 14th Medical Battalion, the military police and the military command of the Province of West Flanders.
The walk is organised in close cooperation with the municipality of Koksijde and the cities of Nieuwpoort, Diksmuide, Poperinge and Ypres.
