Monumental Highlights of Ieper, Ypres, Belgium

The monumental highlights of Ieper is a short overview of interesting and historical sites to visit. The city of Ieper is located in the Westhoek (translated: wester corner), in the southwest corner of Flanders in Belgium. One of most popular sites to visit is the In Flanders Fields Museum which tells the story of the First World War in Ieper Salient. Are you curious what Ieper looks like? Check out the virtual picture tour of Ieper, were I have selected the best pictures I have taken when visiting historical Ieper.

The oldest records mentioning Ieper go back to the 11th century. At first the city was named after the river Ieperlee. Three churches and the city wall were built in the 12th century and Ieper became the third most important city for Flanders, after Ghent and Bruges. Ieper was known for the textile (clothing) industry. In the early 12th century textiles from Ieper were even sold at the annual fair in Novgorod in Russia.

The 15th and 16th centuries were marked by economic decline and the number of inhabitants in the city decreased. The Saint Martin’s church became a cathedral. In that period Calvinism in and around Ieper had a large growing following. In the 1588 the iconoclasm broke out. The Calvinists seized power from Ghent in 1578 and lasted until 1584 when the city was taken by the Catholic central authorities. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).