Not many people visit Bayernwald Trenches, yet this is one of the most fascinating relics from the First World War. The trenches were constructed in 1916 by German troops along the high ground to the south of Ypres.
Once the war was over, the abandoned defences were buried below ground and soon forgotten, but in 1971 a local school teacher explored the area and discovered two deep mines along with four concrete bunkers.
This exceptional military site near Wijtschate village was restored in 2004. It incorporates reconstructed trenches, five bunkers, underground mine galleries and observation posts.
It is not the easiest place to visit as you first have to buy a ticket at Kemmel tourist office, and scan it at the entrance to the trenches. But it is an exceptional experience that reveals the war from the German side.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
