Ypres self-guided city game: Explore at your own pace

Answer questions about Ypres while you walk the squares and streets at your own speed.

A self-guided city game played on your smartphone through Ypres, Belgium, where you answer questions about landmarks and complete search assignments using GPS to navigate. You start and stop whenever you choose, taking between two and four hours to explore the Cloth Hall, Menin Gate Memorial, ramparts and other sites. Audio commentary is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Ypres city landmarks

• Log in to city game app
• Visit Cloth Halls and museum
• See the Cloth Hall building
• Walk the ramparts trail
• View nearby war memorial sculpture
• Explore Ypres city square
• Visit Menin Gate Memorial
• Attend Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate

The Experience

The game works entirely through a free app you download before you arrive. After booking, you'll get login instructions and can start playing anytime—morning, afternoon, or split across two days if you want. GPS guides you to each location, and at each stop you answer questions or complete a task about what you're standing in front of. The Menin Gate Memorial, the Cloth Hall and its In Flanders Fields Museum, the ramparts circling the old town, and the restored squares all become the game board. You move at your own pace, pause for lunch, skip ahead if something doesn't interest you, or linger longer at a stop.

The questions and assignments teach you about Ypres as you play—the history of the Cloth Hall as one of Europe's largest Gothic civil buildings, the story of the Menin Gate as a memorial to Commonwealth soldiers killed in World War I, the detail of the ramparts that form a walking trail around the downtown. The app delivers audio commentary in your chosen language, so you're not reading everything on a small screen. This works well for families with children, groups of friends who want to explore together without a fixed itinerary, or anyone who prefers to wander and discover rather than follow a guide's schedule.

The route is fully wheelchair accessible, and the ramparts and all downtown areas are paved. You'll need your own smartphone with data to use GPS and the app—the game itself is free once you've booked, but you're responsible for your phone and connection. The walk covers the compact old town, so distances between stops are short, though the ramparts add a longer loop if you choose to include them.

What’s included

• Access to the city game app.
• GPS-guided route through Ypres landmarks including the Menin Gate Memorial, Cloth Hall and ramparts.
• audio commentary in English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages.
• questions and search assignments at each stop.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Qula

Is this one for you?The audio guide is available in five languages, so non-English speakers can follow the commentary comfortably in their own language. If you want to explore a city without waiting for a guide to move the group along, or if your schedule doesn't fit a fixed tour time, this game lets you wander Ypres on your own terms—start at eight in the morning or three in the afternoon, take a break whenever you want, and spend as much time as you like at any stop.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can I do this game with a group, or is it just for individuals?

The self-guided game works well for large groups—friends, families or school trips can all play together on the same app, moving as one unit or splitting up and meeting at checkpoints. Everyone plays on their own phone, so the group stays flexible.

What is the Menin Gate Memorial, and why is it on the route?

The Menin Gate Memorial is a war memorial dedicated to British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in World War I whose graves are unknown. It stands at a major entrance to Ypres and is one of the city's most significant landmarks; the game includes questions about its history and the Last Post Ceremony held there every night at 8 p.m.

How long does the game actually take to finish?

Most players complete the route in two to four hours, depending on how long you spend at each stop and whether you include the full ramparts walk. You can split it across multiple visits or do it all in one afternoon—the app lets you pause and resume whenever you want.

Do I need to know anything about Ypres before I start, or does the game teach me?

The game teaches you as you play—audio commentary and the questions themselves explain the history and significance of each location, from the Cloth Hall's Gothic architecture to Ypres' restoration after World War I destruction. No prior knowledge is needed.

What happens if I get lost or my phone runs out of battery?

GPS navigation in the app keeps you on track, and the route stays within the compact old town where distances between stops are short. Bring a phone charger or power bank, and make sure you have data enabled before you start—public transportation and cafés with charging are nearby if you need them.