Ypres is also famous for car ralllying in Belgium since 1965. It’s organized by the auto club Targa Florio. To name a few favourite drivers, the late Collin McRay, his father Jimmy McRay, Bruno Thiry, Henri Tolvoren and Freddy Looix amongst others.
Fries, Chocolate and Beer
Something that Ieper, and the rest of Belgium for that matter, is also known for is the food. Its fries and beer are, as it should be, internationally renowed. Some caution must be paid, however, when first tasting the beer. As Belgian beers are quite ‘strong’, it might lead to rowdy nights when consumed in the amounts most people usually consume it (pints). There are many places where you can find a good ‘pintje’ , but the one bar that comes to mind when you are thinking of original places to drink is ‘De Twaalf Apostels’. Located in the side street of the Grand place, this bar, decorated with all sorts of Christ and other memorabilia, is a local’s favourite and when visiting it and tasting the ambiance there, you’ll know why!
Good local places for fries are ‘De Leet’, here the fries are thin, crispy and fresh: as Belgian fries should be!
And last but not least we have the chocolate. Belgian chocolate is, in my humble opinion, truly the best in the world as the cacao content is of the highest. And of course, Belgium wouldn’t be Belgium without there being good chocolate shops. There are the big chains, indeed, such as Leonidas, but a small shop with the best artisanal (! ) chocolate has got to be Vandaele on the Grand Place; the quirky owner will guide you into the magical world of chocolate and I guarantee, you will leave the place with 500 grams more chocolate than you originally intended.
Getting Around
The best way to get around in the, in comparison to a lot of other (Flemish) cities, small city center of Ieper is by foot. As Ieper is a conglomeration of historic sites and monuments, exploring it by foot is your best option. If you wish to explore the outskirts of Ieper, your best and cheapest option is by buses of De Lijn, the Flemish part of the busnetwork in Belgium (https://www. delijn.be/en/?vertaling=true).
To get to Ieper, you have a good train connection which connects you directly to the capital Brussels, which is a 2-hour train ride from Ieper. Other cities are also easily reachable via the train and routes can be planned via the train company NMBS’s website: http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx .