Menin Gate Memorial

Menin Gate Memorial which includes heritage elements and a garden as well as a small group of people
Menin Gate Memorial featuring heritage elements as well as a small group of people
Menin Gate Memorial showing heritage elements
Menin Gate Memorial featuring a statue or sculpture
Menin Gate Memorial


Pay your respects to missing World War I heroes, the fallen soldiers whose bodies were never recovered from the battlefields of Ypres.

The Menin Gate Memorial is one of four shrines in Ypres to the missing dead in Belgian Flanders during World War I. The large brick structure bears the names of more than 54,000 servicemen and women who lost their lives fighting for the Commonwealth Forces.

The impressive gate was designed by architect Sir Reginald Blomfield and was unveiled in 1927. Its style is simple and elegant, a tribute to the fallen rather than a triumphant memorial of war.

Marvel at the beauty of the majestic redbrick monument, then wander through one of the arches and into the Hall of Memory. Many of the names of the fallen are inscribed in Portland Stone panels on the hall’s inside walls. Occasionally, a name will be removed from the list when remains are discovered in nearby fields, identified and given a proper burial.

At the western entrance to the memorial, see the sculpted sarcophagus with a flag and wreath. During the war, troops passed through this location on their way to the battlefields. At the eastern entrance is a sculpture of a lion looking out to where the battlefields were located. There are several inscriptions to read at the memorial, including some by writer and poet Rudyard Kipling.

Attend the Last Post ceremony, which is held every evening at the gate. The observance has taken place every day since 1928, except during the period of German occupation in World War II. The road through the gate is closed and a trumpet call is sounded. This is followed by a minute’s silence.

The Menin Gate Memorial is just next to the Kasteelgracht moat in the heart of Ypres. The gate marks the eastern point of the city centre and can easily be reached on foot from other attractions, such as the Cloth Hall and St. Martin’s Cathedral. After your visit, go to the nearby monument to the fallen Gurkhas and Indian soldiers.

Plan a trip to see Menin Gate Memorial

Price found within the past 48 hours. Click for updated prices.
Hôtel Mila
Hotel Gravensteen
Grand Holiday Home in Alphen with Sauna & Hot Tub

Reviews of Menin Gate Memorial

4.7
Top destination
5 - Excellent
114
5 - Excellent 76%
4 - Good
32
4 - Good 21%
3 - Okay
3
3 - Okay 2%
2 - Disappointing
0
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
1
1 - Terrible 1%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

The view from the bedroom window

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Get there 30 mins before.

5/5 - Excellent

NiallK

Get there early as there are large crowds ... but what a moving ceremony!

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Take a box of tissues

Popular places to visit


Top Hotel Deals

Mister Bed Lomme
Mister Bed Lomme
110 Rue du Grand But, Lomme, Lille, Nord
Mister Bed Lomme
Comfort Hotel Lille Lomme
Comfort Hotel Lille Lomme
3 out of 5
110 Rue Du Grand But, Lille, Nord
Comfort Hotel Lille Lomme
Premiere Classe Lille Nord - Tourcoing
Premiere Classe Lille Nord - Tourcoing
401/405 Boulevard Gambetta, Tourcoing, Nord
Premiere Classe Lille Nord - Tourcoing
Novotel Suites Gare Lille Europe
Novotel Suites Gare Lille Europe
4 out of 5
Boulevard De Turin, Lille, Nord
Novotel Suites Gare Lille Europe
Séjours & Affaires Lille Europe
Séjours & Affaires Lille Europe
2 out of 5
271 Avenue Willy Brandt, Lille
Séjours & Affaires Lille Europe
Hotel Lille Europe
Hotel Lille Europe
3 out of 5
Avenue Le Corbusier, Allée de Liege, Lille, Nord
Hotel Lille Europe
The People - Lille - Hostel
The People - Lille - Hostel
109 rue Saint André, Lille
The People - Lille - Hostel
The Originals Residence, Le Wax, Lille Est
The Originals Residence, Le Wax, Lille Est
3 out of 5
161 Av. le Notre, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Nord
The Originals Residence, Le Wax, Lille Est
Grand Hotel Bellevue
Grand Hotel Bellevue
4 out of 5
5 Rue Jean Roisin, Lille, Nord
Grand Hotel Bellevue
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.