Heuvelland ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦøːvəlɑnt] ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders . The municipality comprises the villages of Dranouter , Kemmel , De Klijte , Loker , Nieuwkerke , Westouter , Wijtschate and Wulvergem . Heuvelland is a thinly populated rural municipality, located between the small urban centres of Ypres and Poperinge and the metropolitan area of Kortrijk - Lille along the E17 . On 1 January 2006 Heuvelland had a total population of 8,217. The total area is 94.24 km which gives a population density of 87 inhabitants per km. The name heuvelland is Dutch meaning "hill country", as the municipality is characterized by the different hills on its territory.
11-1012: The municipality is located in an area known as the West-Flemish Hills . The highest hill in Heuvelland is the Kemmelberg (154 m); followed by the Vidaigneberg (136 m), the Rodeberg (129 m), the Scherpenberg (125 m) and a lower hill in Wijtschate (82 m). On the border with France is the Zwarteberg . The municipality Heuvelland consists of eight small rural villages. The " deelgemeentes " of Dranouter , Kemmel , Loker , Nieuwkerke , Westouter , Wijtschate and Wulvergem were independent municipalities before
22-721: Is a hill formation in Flanders , Belgium . It is located less than a kilometre from the village of Kemmel, part of the municipality of Heuvelland in the province of West Flanders . The Kemmelberg is the highest point in the province with an altitude of 154 metres (505 ft), this is the geodetic point with mark Ch63.1, as measured by the National Geographical Institute (NGI) in Brussels in October 1951 via optical levelling. The earliest settlements on
33-597: Is found in Nieuwkerke. The four other villages are smaller and accommodate less facilities. Besides the village centres, a number of smaller residential areas are scattered on the territory. On top of the crest of the Rodeberg and Zwarteberg small residential development, mixed with small shops, tourist businesses and restaurants are found. The city centre of Mesen also expands a little on the territory of Wijtschate in Heuvelland. Because of its relative extensiveness,
44-892: The North Sea , started attacking the French troops on the Kemmelberg with gas grenades. At 6 a.m. the German Alpenkorps seized and captured the Kemmelberg, causing Allied troops to withdraw from all the hills in the region. Thousands of French soldiers were killed. Several streets and army barracks in Germany were named after this event (Kemmel-Privatweg in Magdeburg , Kemmelkaserne in Murnau ). Friedrich Sixt von Armin and Prince Franz of Bavaria were commanders, but Karl Höfer
55-576: The Kemmelberg date to 2,500 ago, when Celtic tribes of the Hallstatt culture populated the area. The hill takes its name from Camulos , the Celtic god of war. During World War I , it was the location of one of the war's most ferocious battles, the Fourth Battle of Ypres , because of its strategic importance. On 25 April 1918, German imperial forces , hoping to force a breakthrough to
66-819: The area was the site of two German gas attacks on British troops at Wulverghem . The Kemmelberg was important during the Battle of the Lys , and German units maintained a trench system ( Bayernwald ) within view of Ypres at Croonaert Wood . Nowadays, the Bayernwald trenches can be visited as an open-air museum . There are a number of war cemeteries in the municipality, including Godezonne Farm , RE Farm , Spanbroekmolen , Suffolk , Klein Vierstraat and Kemmel Number 1 French Cemetery . Kemmelberg The Kemmelberg (English: Kemmel Hill , French : Mont Kemmel )
77-565: The merger in 1977. De Klijte wasn't independent, but was a part of Reningelst (then independent, now part of Poperinge). Kemmel, Wijtschate, Nieuwkerke and Westouter are the largest centres, with more than 1000 inhabitants each. The town hall and municipal administration are located in Kemmel, as are the police office and post office. The rest home, municipal sports hall and main library are located in Wijtschate. The municipal container park
88-463: The municipality of Heuvelland borders a large number of villages and towns: The area experienced many major battles during World War I , as part of the Ypres Salient area. The front-line ran through the area of Wytschaete, which was captured and held several times by both sides during the course of the war. Spanbroekmolen was an important German stronghold, and on 30 April and 17 June 1916,
99-715: The southern edge of the hill in the 1950s, which now operates as a visitors centre. The steep cobbled roads over the hill frequently feature in cycling races , especially in the Flemish spring classics . The climb is often a decisive location in Gent-Wevelgem , but is also regularly included in the Four Days of Dunkirk , the Three Days of De Panne , Three Days of West Flanders and the Tour de l'Eurométropole . In 1950,
110-529: The top of the Kemmelberg there is a commemorative war memorial, the Monument aux soldats français , constructed in 1932 and inaugurated by French general and war hero Lacappelle . The memorial column is 17 metres (56 ft) high and depicts the Roman victory goddess Victoria . In the area, the monument is colloquially called "The Angel". A NATO air defence command centre was based in an underground bunker on
121-748: Was celebrated as the hero of Kemmelberg — the Held vom Kemmelberge . It was recaptured during the Battle of the Peaks of Flanders in late September 1918, as a precursor to the Armistice of 11 November 1918 . Two war cemeteries are located to the northeast of the hill, the Kemmel Number 1 French Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery and the Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery with the remains of World War I soldiers. At
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