Frontroute 05: Zonnebeke to Tyne Cot Cemetery

The Frontline Route (also known as the "Frontfietsroute" or "Frontroute 14-18") in and around Zonnebeke offers a profound journey through the preserved landscape of the Western Front. This cycling route, often suggested for two days due to the numerous points of interest, stretches for about 100 kilometers from Nieuwpoort to Mesen, with Zonnebeke being a crucial point within the Ypres Salient. Parcours in Zonnebeke: The Zonnebeke section of the Frontline Route immerses visitors in the heart of the infamous Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) in 1917. The landscape, once a muddy, devastated moonscape, now features: Preserved battle traces: The route passes by remnants of bunkers, dugouts, trenches, and shell craters, offering a tangible sense of the destructive power of the war. These include German bunkers from the "Flandern I Stellung" defense line. Memorials: Zonnebeke is dotted with various memorials, commemorating the different nationalities that fought here. Examples include the Brothers in Arms Memorial, the 5th Australian Division Memorial at Polygon Wood, and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Memorial. Museums: The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke provides in-depth information about the battle, including reconstructed dugouts and trenches. The museum also has a research center with extensive archives. Passchendaele Memorial Gardens: These gardens, often shaped like poppies, offer a contemplative space and serve as a starting point for various walking and cycling routes, including those leading to Tyne Cot Cemetery and Polygon Wood. Polygon Wood: This historically significant wood, once a fierce battlefield, contains the Buttes New British Cemetery and a memorial to the Australian 5th Division. Tyne Cot Cemetery: Tyne Cot Cemetery, located near Zonnebeke, is not just a stop on the route, but a central monument to the scale of loss. Largest Commonwealth Cemetery: It holds the distinction of being the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world by number of burials. There are 11,956 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated here from WWI, with 8,369 of them unidentified. Strategic Location: The cemetery's location was strategically vital during the Battle of Passchendaele. "Tyne Cot" was the name given by the British Army to a barn that stood here, which became the center of a series of German concrete "pill-boxes". One of these large pill-boxes was used as an advanced dressing station, leading to the initial burials. The Cross of Sacrifice: This iconic cross, a feature of many CWGC cemeteries, is uniquely placed atop one of the original German pill-boxes within Tyne Cot. This was a suggestion by King George V during his visit in 1922. Memorial to the Missing: Forming the north-eastern boundary of the cemetery, the Tyne Cot Memorial commemorates nearly 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after August 16, 1917, and whose graves are unknown. Their names are inscribed on its Portland stone panels. Enlargement after the Armistice: The cemetery was significantly expanded after the war, as graves from surrounding battlefields, particularly Passchendaele and Langemarck, and smaller burial grounds were concentrated here. The Frontline Route through Zonnebeke and the visit to Tyne Cot Cemetery provide a powerful and moving experience, allowing visitors to connect with the history and pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives.