Help your students understand the magnitude of the losses and devastation caused by WWI, with a school trip to Ypres and the Somme. Flattened during four years of fierce fighting in the First World War, Ypres has been restored as near as possible to its former glory. As one of the last bastions of defence of the ports surrounding Calais, the battles that took place at Ypres were fundamental in preventing German invasion of the UK. Situated on the Belgian side of the Franco-Belgian border, the town is surrounded by memorials and cemeteries serving as poignant reminders of the past. School trips to Ypres and the Somme offer important additions to any history curriculum, teaching future generations about the reasons behind the decisions to go to war and the very grave consequences that follow. The Cloth Hall and Menin Gate are particularly important sites to visit on your educational tour to Ypres and the Somme, where students can reflect on the lives of the real men and women who died for our freedom.