Flanders Field American Cemetery
Flanders Field American Cemetery is the only American First World War Cemetery in Belgium. 368 soldiers found their final resting place in Waregem, with another 43 mentioned on the Memorial to the Missing. Every year on a Sunday at the end of May, a Memorial Day ceremony is held at the cemetery for the American victims of the war.
The cemetery attracts many thousands of visitors every year, from all over the world. On 26 March 2014, the former president of the USA, Barack Obama, even paid a visit.
The cemetery and visitor centre (Wortegemseweg 117) can be visited daily, free of charge, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The cemetery is only closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Guided tours for schools or groups can be requested at flanders-field@abmc.gov.
HIPPO.WAR
HIPPO.WAR, the First World War visitor centre in Waregem, opened its doors on 11 November 2017. Two permanent exhibitions cover 900 m²: one on the role of horses in WW1 and one on the importance of the Americans in the same war. Discover stories from the Great War that are perhaps not so well known in photos, films and audio clips along with countless authentic artefacts, an interactive quiz and even a replica horse hospital. The visitor centre is located on the second floor of the stand at Gaverbeek Hippodrome in Holstraat 95. www.hippowar.be
Waregem Races Festival
Waregem Races Festival is held every year in the days surrounding the last weekend in August. The Festival is officially opened on the Thursday, which marks the start of a whole week of festivities in Waregem: a fair, shows, music, street theatre and so on. The highlight of the festival, the horse racing, is on the Tuesday. Waregem Races Festival attracts tens of thousands of festival-goers to Waregem every year. Another 40,000 people come to the actual Waregem Races. Find all the information and a detailed programme at www.waregemkoersefeesten.be.
Dwars Door Vlaanderen
The World Tour cycle race Dwars Door Vlaanderen starts in Roeselare, passes through the Flemish Ardennes and always finishes in Waregem. The classic race is held on the Wednesday just before the Tour of Flanders, making it the final preparation for Flanders’ most exciting cycling event.
