Poperinge is a charming town in the southwest of the province of West Flanders, close to the French Belgian border. On a surface of 11 933 ha it has 20 000 inhabitants and six communities: Proven, Krombeke, Haringe, Roesbrugge, Watou and Reningelst.

Get in

By train: From Lille Flandres station changing at Kortrijk. Direct from Brussels main stations.

By car: From the ports of Calais or Dunkerque, take the A16 East, turning off at junction 28 (A25 towards Lille). Get off at Junction 13 and follow the signs for Poperinge / Ypres (Ieper).

Get around

De Lijn buses are a good way of seeing the countryside around Poperinge. The Belbus is a service which needs to be booked at least 2 hours before travelling. See the De Lijn website (In Dutch).

See

• Hop Museum

• Talbot House (TOC H)

• War Graves (Too numerous to list)

Do

• Have a drink in the Palace, a hotel bar with more than 100 Belgian Beers.

• Have a drink in one of the cafes on the Markt.

• Take the Belbus North to In de Vrede, where they sell Westvleteren (allegedly the best beer in the world!)

• Have a drink in the Hotel de Paix Bierhuis, over 120 Belgian Beers.

Buy

• Chocolates from Stephanotis.

Eat

• Quadrille

• Poussecafe

• Paix

• Hommelzak

• Poupee

Drink

• Nieuwen Haene

• Oud Vlaenderen

• Paix

• Pallieterke

• Vismarkt

• Vette Os

Sleep

• Hotel Palace

• Hotel Belfort

• Hotel Amfora

• Hotel Recour